Sailor Moon: Crystal Eclipse
by Saturnalius
Summary: Nearly a millennium after the fall of Queen Galaxia and the Shadow Galaxy ("Sailor Moon: Shadows of the Eclipse"), Crystal Tokyo is thriving. But the Era of Peace turns upside down when a strange new force turns up, threatening the lives of the royal court and the peace of the world.
1. Era of Peace

_I know none of our visits or stories of that future ever spoke of the Eclipse, but I want you all to be part of our future. I want you all to stay with us, to become my future guardians as well._

Chaos had fallen once again and the world was safe. The final battle between Chaos and Sailor Moon in the center of Shinjuku caught the attention of the world. The media detailed the events, the destruction before and the perfect restoration after. Many who had died returned to life once again, all thanks to Sailor Moon's power. However, Moon knew that she alone wasn't responsible. All the senshi, lunar and eclipse, joined together for one last hurrah against the impending doom Chaos had unleashed. Despite her best efforts to convince the media otherwise, they praised Moon as the lead for the restoration of Tokyo.

The future was all falling into place, as it was foretold, though with differences due to Moon changing the fate of the cosmos. The presence of the Eclipse was a sure-tell sign of this. The changes were welcomed with open arms. There was the possibility of Chaos's return, as he always seemed to lurk in the shadows, yet this time, the senshi was ready to fight at a moment's notice.

Usagi and Mamoru wed after her graduation. The ceremony was humongous, as both had invited everyone they held dear, both family and friends alike. The celebration was filled with happiness and cheer, as Usagi finally had the wedding she'd dreamed about, filled with everything she loved dearly.

Ami and Sasami were high school co-valedictorians, both continuing on to Tokyo University. While in different fields of study, the two continued to compete, attempting to outdo one another with their marks. Both had received academic scholarships, but Sasami had received an additional football scholarship. It was a small victory in their rivalry, but a victory nonetheless, leaving Ami to find new means to outdo Sasami.

Akiko and Makoto opened up a bakery in downtown Tokyo that specialized in both traditional and modern desserts. Tsubaki and Minako helped run the cafe attached to the bakery, though not without Sasami and Ami's help in balancing the books.

Rei soon became high priestess of the Shrine after her grandfather's retirement, and Kasumi began her miko training. Kasumi's presence had bought a bit of a western flair to the shrine, as she began offering fortunes with tarot cards in addition to selling the traditional fortune trinkets which funded the shrine. Despite her eccentric ways, Kasumi excelled in her role, happily taking on whatever task Rei assigned to her. Kasumi found herself surprisingly adept at cleansing ceremonies.

Shana became an acclaimed fairy tale author, living out her dreams of surrounding herself with fairy tales and happy endings. Her most acclaimed book told a story of battles and love between the kingdoms of a past life, romanticizing the events of the Silver Millennium of the past with a bit of an artistic flair. It read much like an ancient legend and was popular with both old and young alike.

Juri continued her archery, becoming a professional demonstrator and competitor. After thorough and rigorous training, Juri finally earned first place in a national competition. No wind would keep her from victory this time.

Five years later, the Silver Crystal finally released a burst of peaceful light, coating the entire Tokyo area in crystal. The light reached far beyond the boundaries of Tokyo. Wars came to a halt, enemies became friends, and the world was finally at peace. Neo Queen Serenity emerged as the source of the peaceful light and ascended to the throne with Neo King Endymion, beginning the Era of Peace.

Sasami didn't hesitate to become the queen's personal guard. She was living out Satsu's dream in being close to the silver moon princess, but continuing her own dream to protect the Crystal Tokyo queen. Satsu's dream had become her own.

Juri and Naru became the king and queen's advisers. While neither knew the foretold future, both had come to realize it didn't matter. The path Usagi had chosen by not destroying the Galaxy Cauldron had changed the future, and the two advisers sought to create a new peaceful future.

The other senshi, both lunar and eclipse, filled in their roles as the royal court while continuing their civilian lives outside the crystal castle. The outer senshi joined the eclipse, finally able to meet their counterparts.

The birth of the princess came soon thereafter. Akiko and Makoto became her caretakers, competing with one another to see who the better caretaker would be.

Everything was falling into place as foretold, but Serenity decided to make a change. She opened up communication with the worlds outside the Solar System. When the animamates first appeared, she quickly learned that there were many senshi out there in the galaxy. Serenity reached out to other systems and alliances within the galaxy. Many heeded her call, as all knew legends of the Silver Millennium. She bore the royal marks of the Silver Moon, and she had its power.

Calling everyone to a conference, she proposed the idea of establishing a network of senshi. She told of the Silver Millennium, about the Eclipse senshi who were established to protect the outer rim of the galaxy. She spoke of the threat the Shadow Galaxy had caused and of past threats caused by Chaos. She wished to protect the galaxy from future threats.

While she didn't speak of it, one particular incident stuck to Serenity's mind. When Chibiusa first came to the past, so did the Black Moon. The Black Moon Clan was from the era of Crystal Tokyo. They had opposed the effects of Crystal Tokyo, the extended times of peace and extreme longevity. They began poisoning the earth and eventually brought everything down to the ground. Serenity couldn't have that happen. This peace they'd all worked so hard to attain. They had to preserve it.

Serenity's words were convincing, and a network of senshi began springing up across the galaxy. They became known as the Crystal Guardians. Many of the brightest stars in the sky found guardians to protect their sector of the galaxy. The Guardians were separated into divisions depending on the region which they protected, including the Nebula, Galactic Center, and Outer Rim divisions. Each division was tasked with protecting the galaxy from future threats and preserving the peaceful era.

_Nearly a millennium after the Era of Peace began..._

They arrived under the veil of night. Three of them, unknown senshi from unknown lands. They stood tall against the city on the shores of Tokyo Bay, watching the world bustle about before them. The city rarely seemed to sleep, transforming into a land of glistening lights. The moon was full that night; its light reflecting in the crystal palace walls standing tall in the center of the city.

"Are you quite certain this is where they have landed?" questioned the senshi with her hair pulled back into a massive bun.

"Mhm," the redhead senshi nodded, tapping the screen of her tablet. "The numbers are all right. The rogues are definitely here somewhere. Statistically, this is a prime target, being the seat of the queen and all. Only logical they would poison this place first. That's how they do it in manga."

"The subject of manga returneth once again," the senshi with the bun frowned. "Certainly you have naught spent every waking moment delving into these strange books, have you?"

"She's not wrong, though," the purple-haired senshi interjected. "This place is the source of peace, yanno? Besides, the outer Eclipse are here. I hear they now stand beside the silver moon senshi."

"Perhaps thine earrings have pierced thy brain," the senshi with the bun frowned. "Eclipse are naught to be interacting so closely with the silver light."

"Then what are _we _doin' here?" the purple-haired senshi frowned.

The senshi with the bun paused. She couldn't deny their duties here could potentially interfere with the silver moon court.

"Fulfilling our duties," the redhead answered for her. "These rogues are after something no doubt greater than just mischief. This isn't Loki we're talking about. We can't let the rogues poison the Midgard or destroy the Rainbow Bridge. This is our beautiful future we're tasked to protect."

"Indeed," the senshi with the bun agreed. While the reference to the Norse god flew over her head, she understood the sentiment. "Proceed as planned. For the sake of the galaxy."

…

**Author's notes:**

Totally lost and have no idea what the hell is going on here? Read the first story, _Shadows of the Eclipse_!

So here we are, new year, new story. Sort of a prologue chapter, but I always like to leave you with somewhat of a sour taste in your mouth at the end of the first chapter. Remember Rei's premonition of the moon tearing in SMSE? Exactly.

I really wanted to start out with establishing what's happened since SMSE. 1000 years is a long time, even in terms of Crystal Tokyo. A quick reminder that this is manga based. People live a very damn long time. Chibiusa (in the manga) was 902 and still considered a kid. Even so, this still isn't the Crystal Tokyo the manga tells you about. Just so you know

And that strange Shana girl, that's Sailor Plutonium. I think I mentioned her name maybe once or twice?


	2. That strange girl from Kansai

Cafe Eclipse was situated in the heart of Tokyo, only a few blocks away from the Hikawa Shrine. The location was prime, as it was near a main park where festivals were often held. With an important festival only two weeks away, Akiko was often outside of the Cafe to assist with artistic decorations and setup, leaving Makoto to busily bake desserts for the cafe. Minako had offered to help, which only resulted in copious amounts of dough exploding all over the kitchen. She and Tsubaki spent nearly a week pulling dough out of the cabinetry.

It was 9am and already Akiko and Makoto began furiously kicking up their old rivalry, challenging each other to a bake-off. Their rivalry had a tendency to gather crowds, as they found it rather entertaining to see modern style face off against traditional arts. Not to mention, the food which resulted in their competitions was always superb.

Today's crowd was relatively small, gathering about 10 people around the counter as they watched the two cooks face off. Makoto had already begun beating the brownie batter, and Akiko had begun to pound the red bean paste.

Minako wasn't necessarily interested in their competition. It was far too early for any of this. She hadn't even fully woken up yet, despite the three cups of coffee she'd already downed. Slumped into a booth, she stared up at the poster on the wall. It was the newest poster put out by the super hot boy band, ShinY. Not only were they good singers, they were excellent dancers who had a tendency to pelvic thrust the audience during their concerts. Such hot pelvises they had.

Minako sighed dreamily, not realizing she was drooling down her apron as she stared at the poster.

"You're drooling again, Micchan~" Tsubaki took a seat across from the blond, crossing her knees under her frilly uniform skirt. The amount of lace, ruffles, and tulle involved in the Cafe uniform was just her style, especially because it came in blue for her. Minako wore a golden yellow variant.

Minako groaned, wiping her mouth off. "You just don't get it, Tsubaki-chaaaan! The boys are so cute, and the way they move is aaaaaah so wonderful!"

"They are certainly beautiful~ " Tsubaki agreed, leaning on the table with her elbow and propping her head up. She'd turned sideways so she could stare at the poster too.

"Ohoho, so scandalous, Tsubaki-chan!" Minako jeered coyly. "What will Kasumi-chan think if you're looking at boys?"

"My beautiful heart will always belong to my Kasu-hime and our beloved daughter~ " Tsubaki countered, admiring the wedding band around her finger. It was a silver band with inlaid blue sapphire hearts, very suited to Tsubaki's style. Kasumi's was similar, though with jade roses embedded within the band.

Their wedding was most unusual but still a thing of beauty. Kasumi and Tsubaki wed shortly after Usagi and Mamoru had. It was a traditional Shinto wedding with Rei performing the ceremony. Tsubaki had chosen traditional women's garb, a white kimono with copious amounts of traditional layering. Kasumi hadn't been so formal, though she wore her black kimono with a spiderweb pattern. Everyone they knew and held dear had come to celebrate.

"But," Tsubaki added, "if I ever _did_ dress like a boy, I'd dress like them~ "

Minako giggled. Despite Tsubaki keeping her hair in a bob cut since the day Porrazorite had forcibly cut it short, Minako just couldn't see Tsubaki as a boy and she constantly forgot that Tsubaki really was a boy underneath all the makeup, jewelry, and tulle. She'd never seen the blue-haired girl dress like a boy. It was a strange thought, really. "I think that'd be cute! You should do it sometime for Kasumi-chan!"

Tsubaki laughed. "I don't want to give Kasu-chan a heart attack~"

"Definitely not!" Minako giggled. The idea was rather amusing, if not slightly morbid. It was enough to get both girls to giggle like children. "But for now, we can just drool over their posters."

"Mhm~ " Tsubaki agreed, looking up at the poster as well. It sure was a sexy poster.

"Yanno they're performin' here next month, yeah?"

Minako and Tsubaki both looked up to find someone had approached them and neither had noticed. She was shorter, couldn't have been much taller than Minako. Her long purple hair was half-pulled back into a braid, much as Minako wore her own hair. Her complexion was a dark contrast to Minako and slightly to Tsubaki. She seemed pretty casual wearing blue jeans and a silver t-shirt with a green star in the middle. She had multiple piercings, a hoop and two studs in each ear.

"Shimabukuro Emi," she introduced herself. "Just moved here from Kyoto, yeah. Been followin' ShinY since they started, yanno?"

Kyoto was in the Kansai region, which wasn't exactly known for their linguistics. At least that was how the Kanto region saw it. There was always an east-west rivalry between the two regions, dating back to the age of the samurai. Despite being nearly two millennia since the fall of the samurai, that rivalry still stood strong. At least Emi spoke a rather light dialect of Kansai-ben, making her a bit easier to understand than some.

"Aino Minako," she introduced herself, brushing her hair with her hand dramatically. "I've been following ShinY since they started too."

"Hana Tsubaki," she introduced herself as well. "Charmed~ " Tsubaki laid on the charm thick as she introduced herself.

And Emi seemed to eat it up. "The pleasure's all mine, Tsuba-han," she flirted back.

"Hey hey!" Minako interjected. "We're talking about ShinY here, not flirting! Cute. Boys. Besides, Tsubaki-chan is married," she added with another flick of her hair.

"Would you rather I flirt with you, Mina-han?" Emi shifted her attention to Minako, taking her hand and giving it a flirtatious kiss. Minako simply gaped in return. She attempted to mouth a few words but nothing came out. This Emi just appeared and was already making a considerable impression on the two.

"So, what brings you to this beautiful crystal city, Emi-chan~ ?" Tsubaki asked, breaking the stunned silence.

"Jobs, yanno?" Emi replied, nudging Minako further into the booth so she could sit next to her. "'n that the people here're so much cuter. Couldn't pass up the opportunity t' see ShinY in concert either."

"I bet the concert's sold out," Minako groaned, stretching across the table before dramatically face flopping down on it. They always were, and she always seemed to miss the sale in the box office. She'd tried to win tickets on the radio before too. Sure, she could throw her weight around as the goddess of love, Sailor Venus, but that seemed more like an abuse of power than a good idea.

"Got that covered, yeah," Emi smirked. "I~'ve got a pair, but I need a date t' accompany me, yanno?"

"I'll go!~ I'll go!" Minako suddenly revived back to life, excitedly waving her hands like a schoolgirl. She would do most anything to actually see ShinY in concert, even go on a date with a chick. She couldn't deny that Emi was cute, and she certainly had a strange gentleman charm to her. Sure, she had her sights set on Saito Kun, but she could always flirt to get a pair of coveted tickets.

...

The Hikawa Shrine had become the world's most revered and recognized shrine. It had grown crystalline, as all of the city had, and expanded further up the hillside to accommodate the increased visitor traffic since the dawn of the Era of Peace. While Grampa had retained somewhat of a spry youthfulness due to the effects of the Silver Crystal, Rei continued to head the shrine.

The head miko, Kasumi, sat on the floor where the ceremonial fire burned brightly. Something had called her to venture to the fire, and she sat before it, tucking her feet beneath her. She offered the proper reverence to the fire and it heeded her, dancing back and forth.

Kasumi shuffled her tarot cards, pulling the cards from the bottom and placing them on the top at random intervals. The cards felt as though they were calling out to her along with the fire, and far be it from her to ignore such a call.

She placed a card out on the ground, then placed another and another. She paused, biting her lip, placing a hand on the deck. Hesitantly, she drew another card and placed it on the ground. "It can't be."

…

**Artist's notes:**

Shimabukuro Emi 島袋 絵美. The name is more done for the sound than the meaning, as the meaning is rather silly. Shimabukuro broken up means island 島 bag 袋. Emi 絵美 means beautiful painting.

-han is the Kansai-ben version of -san. From what I understand, -han is only used if the name doesn't end with "i" , "u" or "n". So she's shortening names here. Kansai-ben is often translated as having a deep southern accent. Japanese speakers have told me this isn't exactly right, and Kansai-ben is more seen as the language of bad boys (at least according to Kantou folks) and that Okinawa's dialects would be more suited for a southern accent. So I've translated it as heavy slang with a bit of badassery thrown in. As badass as Emi can sound, as she's more of a flirt than anything else.

Kudos if you get the real-world reference of ShinY.


	3. The foreign exchange student

Princess Usagi Small Lady Serenity chewed on her pencil, staring at the board in the classroom. Despite being the crown princess, she attended school just like anyone else. Discarding large poof of a princess dress, she chose a simpler dress, sailor collared with some tulle underneath the skirt for volume. She looked pretty much like everyone else as she used some magic to hide the crescent moon on her forehead.

Despite being physically older, Hotaru, Momoko, and Kyuusuke remained with her, staying in the same grade. Naruru and Ruruna had also remained close friends of Small Lady's, though they had proceeded to a few grades ahead. They all believed her to be the same friend they'd made before Crystal Tokyo began, but few knew she wasn't.

The Chibiusa of the past and Small Lady of the present were two separate people. The Black Moon Clan hadn't attacked Crystal Tokyo, and Small Lady never traveled to the past to save find Sailor Moon and the Silver Crystal of the past. The fight against the Shadow Galaxy had altered the future. The Chibiusa who did travel to the past was now from an alternate timeline.

However, Small Lady had become aware of her alternate self, mostly through Momoko filling her in. She begged Pluto to fill her in, and reluctantly, the guardian did so, even offering glimpses of the events within the time stream. They played back like a movie, showing series of events, both good and bad. She vicariously relived the events, learning everything she did with her friends and the battles she'd fought as a senshi. While her power hadn't awoken in the current timeline, she continued on with that vicarious memory, working towards the day when her power would awaken too.

Today wasn't such a joyous day. It was science class, and she wasn't particularly fond of biology. She didn't want to dissect another frog or worm for the rest of her life. Fortunately no dissecting things today, but they were reviewing the innards of a frog. Still super gross.

"Chibiusa-chan," Momoko poked Small Lady in the arm with a pencil, whispering at her long-time friend. "Let's go play in the park after school. I hear they've started setting up the Girls' Festival."

Small Lady nodded excitedly. The Girl's Festival, better known as hinamatsuri, was a festival where ornamental dolls were set out on display. Originally, the dolls were sent out to float down a river, believing the act would send away the bad spirits and bad luck. Now they were just pretty to look at.

The classroom door slid open, interrupting their thoughts. The teacher stopped scribbling nonsense on the board and beckoned someone to come in. The class, Small Lady included, attempted to peer around the corner. In walked a girl wearing a bright yellow sundress. Her hair was long, pulled back into pigtails, looped at the top then twisted down to the bottom. It was a dusty purple, nearly reaching her knees. Around her neck was a gold chain with an aqua teardrop gem.

"My name is Shiba Chika," the girl offered a curtsy worthy of royalty, "from the Aldebaran star system. I'll be staying here for awhile as a foreign exchange student." While otherworldly migrants weren't too uncommon in the capital city, few in the classroom had met someone from another world their age.

"Hey, isn't the Aldebaran system with stardust soup comes from?" one of the students pointed out.

Chika nodded. "That's right. Aldebaraan is famous for it." Stardust soup was a particularly exotic soup rarely found outside the star system. It was made by combining comet dust with various elements used to create the stars themselves. "I'm truly surprised anyone had heard of it here."

"Alright, Chika-san, take a seat next to Chibiusa-san and Momoko-san." The teacher indicated a free desk next to Small Lady. "We'll continue our review of biology so Chika-san can catch up."

Small Lady stuck out her tongue. "Frogs are super gross." She had enough of talking about them for one day, but the lesson seemed to drag on forever. Thankfully school had finally come to a close and she and her group fled the classroom.

"That's cuz you're a girl!" Kyuusuke teased.

Momoko smacked him on the back of the head, giving him a stern look. "Anyway, let's meet up with Naruru and Ruruna to go see the dolls in the park!"

Kyuusuke stuck out his tongue, very much not set on the idea.

"Fine, Kyuusuke-kun!" Momoko frowned sharply. "You don't have to come! Just go home!"

"I didn't want to go anyway," Kyuusuke frowned. He didn't want to go to a girl's festival anyway. He was a boy. He had no reason to look at dolls unless they were Sailor V dolls. He didn't want to leave on a sour note, though. Those three were still his friends. "I'll see you tomorrow then." He turned and darted off down out the entrance to the school.

"Whatever," Momoko scoffed, folding her arms. Kyuusuke could be impossible sometimes. "He won't ruin our fun anyway."

Small Lady nodded with a laugh. She turned to go find Naruru and Ruruna with Momoko and Hotaru but paused when she noticed Chika all alone. It was probably her first day here in Crystal Tokyo, and she probably didn't have any friends yet. She seemed so lonely. "Hey, let's go ask Chika-chan to join us."

Convincing Chika to join them to go to the park was hardly difficult. Hotaru wasn't entirely fond of Naruru and Ruruna, as they used far too much slang, but she found herself quickly fond of Chika's politeness. Chika was a nice offset to the rest of them.

Naruru and Ruruna busied themselves with showing off their newest designer bags on the way to the park. But as soon as the group reached the park, the conversation immediately switched to the display. As per tradition, a large step-like display had been set up, fenced off with a red velvet rope. At the center, two people were busily setting up dolls. Also as per tradition, the dolls were set up in a particular order, with the imperial family sitting at the top followed by the royal court. The dolls were always dressed in traditional Heian-era clothing.

Small Lady dashed forward, recognizing the two artists setting up the massive display. "Michiru-chan! Akiko-chan!"

The two Neptunes turned, both smiling. It was remarkable how similar the two looked, mirroring one another in both appearance and actions.

"Ohoho, come to see the display, Chibiusa-shi?" Akiko tittered, holding a hand delicately up to her mouth. "And you've brought all your friends too~"

Momoko and Hotaru offered a friendly wave, while Naruru and Ruruna were too busy gushing over the dolls on the display.

"This is our new friend, Shiba Chika-chan~" Small Lady introduced the exchange student. Chika offered a polite bow in response to the introduction, receiving polite bows in return from the older girls.

"Uwa, look at this, Chibusa-chan!" Naruru squealed, pointing excitedly at the display. "The princess looks just like you! Oh such a pretty dress! Only if Guccicci made dresses like this!" The pinkhaired princess doll sat in a pink kimono with numerous layers typical of a Heian era princess. To her side sat the gray kitten Diana.

Momoko glanced over at Small Lady. While she and Hotaru knew that Chibiusa really was Princess Small Lady Serenity, Naruru and Ruruna did not. Despite the similar appearances, most didn't put two and two together. Chika was completely unaware of the connection and chose to knit her hands together behind her back, watching and observing everyone.

Small Lady shrugged and simply joined in the gushing. "It's super pretty! But I bet something like that is super heavy too."

"Uwaaaaa, that's so true!" Ruruna agreed. "But if Channel made something like this, I'd totally buy it. Especially Princess Mercury's! Oh that kimono is absolutely gorgeous!" Ruruna was a huge fan of Mercury's ever since the senshi first appeared. And now that Mercury was part of the royal court, she wanted to look like her even more.

Hotaru rolled her eyes, folding her arms. Those two were too much of fan girls. She'd have to protect Small Lady from them.

"Ohoho, you will all have to come back once we're finished setting up," Akiko tittered. "There will be many more beautiful dolls."

"Mhm," Small Lady nodded excitedly. "I can't wait!"

**…**

**Author's way too long notes:**

We've got a lot going on in this chapter omg. Note that Chika-chan is actually the only new character in this chapter. (Akiko is Neptunusia)

Shiba Chika 芝 散花. Broken a part the name means 芝 lawn and 散花 scattered flower, so essentially her name means _Scattered flowers on the lawn. _The best way I can describe her hair is looking like SeraMyu's Moon wigs (specifically Hara Fumina's wig)

So who are these other people? These are all of Chibiusa's friends from the manga. I sure well couldn't have a Crystal Tokyo story without Chibiusa showing up. Mind you, this is the manga version, so she's sugary cute (and my absolute fave) and not always a total brat. Even so, this still isn't the Chibiusa you know because the Eclipse tale changed the future.

So the friends. Momoko Momohara is Chibiusa's first and probably longest friend in the series. Momoko has purple hair always pulled back into a bun. She likes Chinese-style tops. She was friends with Kyuusuke before they met Chibiusa.

And Kyuusuke is a closet Sailor V fan. He's always got this short, messy dark hair.

Now for the obscure ones. Naruru Osaka and Ruruna Kobe only appeared in the final _Chibiusa's picture diary_. They look a bit older than Chibiusa and Momoko (who appears in her other picture diaries), but it's not entirely clear if they are or not. They always appear a bit ganguro even though the color art shows them rather pallid.

Hinamatsuri is also called Girls' Day and happens at the same time as the peach blossom viewing would traditionally be. While I don't think Hinamatsuri traditionally happen in a park, let's just say in Crystal Tokyo they can.


	4. A miko and a priestess

Kasumi paced back and forth in the main hallway. Rei had been busy most of the day with a Shinto wedding, performing traditional rites for the ceremony. The wedding was supposed to conclude at 3pm, but it was currently 3:15 and Rei hadn't returned. Hardly uncommon for the high priestess to be delayed, but right now, Kasumi needed her advice.

Rei arrived shortly thereafter with an entourage of miko behind her. Picking a few stray peach blossoms out of her hair, she was surprised to see Kasumi so anxious. The peach blossoms were in full bloom right now, nearly coinciding with the Girls' Day festival. They had gotten everywhere during the ceremony, which certainly was pretty but mildly irritating. At least it was over. "Something wrong, Kasumi-chan?"

Kasumi paused for a moment, noticing how worn out Rei looked. The ceremony had been relatively long, but Rei had looked strangely worn out for the past few days. "You look like you need rest, I'd say. I'll come back later."

"Kasumi-chan." Rei reached out, grabbing Kasumi by the sleeve. The tarot deck fell from her sleeve where she'd kept it, anxiously waiting for Rei to return. The cards fell randomly, some face up and others down, but one in particular caught her attention. Folding the layers of her hakama neatly, she knelt down to pick the card up. It couldn't be. "Let's talk."

After dismissing the attending miko, Rei and Kasumi retreated to the main room where the ceremonial fire remained lit. Rei slid the paper door shut, still holding the card. It was a strange one, the border belonging to Kasumi's standard deck, yet the picture had changed. Within the borders was a swirling vortex of black and purple with a dash of dark maroon. The text on the card said _Black Hole_.

"I really don't know what the cards are trying to tell me, I'd say," Kasumi confessed, thumbing through the cards she'd dropped on the floor earlier.

"Is this the only one?" Rei asked, tucking her hakama beneath her as she sat properly next to Kasumi.

"It isn't." The green-haired miko shuffled the cards, turning them face down in her hand. "This morning, something called to me, drawing me to the ceremonial fire. Not sure what exactly, but I'd say, it was some sort of warning."

Flipping over the first card, she placed it on the ground, tapping it a few times. The image was of a very colorful gaseous nebula, swirling with shades of red and gold against the black of space. A few stars glistened within the clouds, flickering a bit on the card like a twinkling star. While her ability to read fortunes had only grown stronger, Kasumi had never seen her cards twinkle. "First comes 'Black Hole'. 'Nebula' is always next to follow. The next one is even weirder, I'd say."

Pushing the card up with her thumb, she flipped it over and placed it on the ground with her free hand, tapping it a few times as well. The card was highly unusual, featuring a picture of dandelion seeds floating about. They looked like seeds from the fuzzy white dandelions. The text read _fuzz_. "Now I'm pretty sure this isn't related to the dandelion wine I had last night."

Rei cracked a slight smile at the jab, picking up the fuzz card to get a closer look at it. "Does the next card give any indication of what this means?"

Kasumi shook her head again. "It's the weird one in the bunch, I'd say, not that that says all too much." She flipped over the next one, and another, then a third. All three cards were blank, labeled _Silver, Air, _and _Silence_ respectively.

"There's one more." She flipped the last card over. This one had a picture of the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, Sagittarius A*, glowing brightly against the stars swirling around it. While the picture seemed peaceful, the text on it was not.

Rei stared at the card, wide-eyed, before plucking it up off the floor. "'Warning.' That one is definitely clear enough. Have you told anyone else?"

Kasumi shook her head. "Not yet. I wanted to run everything by you first, make sure I'm not losing my mind. Make sure the cards still are showing up the same way."

"I don't believe you've lost your mind at all," Rei stated, picking up the nebula card, turning it back and forth in her hand. The stars sparkled like glitter, twinkling in the light of the ceremonial fire. "I've been feeling something odd the past few days, and now I'm quite certain it isn't the flu." With the light of the silver crystal permeating throughout the entire galaxy, sickness was incredibly rare. "Phobos and Deimos have been on edge lately as well, yet the fire has not heeded my call. It has only shown me visions of darkness."

Placing the cards on the floor, Rei stared at the fire once more. It crackled and popped, bending in an invisible wind. Why hadn't she noticed this before? "Something is affecting the fire." Much of Rei's visions came to her through the fire as a medium. Kasumi was different. Her medium was a deck of cards. She could see a warning unimpeded.

Kasumi stared at the fire as well. She hadn't noticed earlier today how the fire had bent sideways even though the outer doors remained closed. "Cosmic or chaotic?"

"Cosmic," Rei nodded. She didn't sense any evil coming from the fire. Her intuition would've notified her right away. "It must've called out to you, seeking your medium for a vision to clarify the one it had given me. We must inform the queen. Something is definitely coming, and we can't allow it to destroy this peace we've found."

Gathering the cards, she handed them back to Kasumi before standing up and straightening out her robes. "We must go now. Grampa can handle things in our absence."

Kasumi nodded, standing up and nearly tripping on the front of her hakama. Nearly a millennium, and she still couldn't handle the pants sometimes. "We can't let these shadows undo everything we worked for, I'd say."

Outside the room, Deimos and Phobos began cawing loudly. Sensing a warning, Rei rushed over to the outside door, sliding it open suddenly. The source of their noise stood firmly at the entryway beneath the torii gate: an unknown senshi. She stood around Rei's height, her collar and skirt pitch black, matching her thigh-high boots. Her fuku was two pieces, showing off her midriff. The sleeves had two rolled puffs with silver tulle at the ends, cut like flower petals overlapping one another. Her gloves came elbow-length, capped with two dark maroon rolled puffs, matching her front bow and waistband. Around her wrist was a bracelet consisting of black beads. Her dark brown hair was gathered into two large buns, the tails of each bun falling down on her shoulders and curling at the ends. Her tiara was replaced by the same beads as her bracelet, though in the center was a dark maroon bead. She wore a similar necklace in addition to her choker.

She carried with her a purple baseball bat, which she repeatedly smacked in her hand, intimidating the visitors. "Well, well, if it ain't the high priestess and her pet miko."

While their identities as senshi and members of the royal court wasn't public knowledge, Rei's official status was the high priestess of the royal family, Kasumi being her right hand miko. Both were deemed to be incredibly powerful and were well-recognized for their skills in spiritual arts. Normally the status would draw attention from citizens far and wide for spiritual reasons. The waiting list for Rei to perform a ceremony as their priestess was immensely long. Kasumi often performed fortunes during the day, as well as assisting in any ceremonies.

Today was different, as they'd suddenly drawn unwanted and rather threatening attention.

"Who are you?" Rei demanded. "You're disturbing the peace and serenity of sacred grounds."

"Heh heh," the strange senshi snickered. "53 Aquarii. Now I've come for my fortune, and it better be good, yeah? Or I'll break this place apart."

Rei and Kasumi both paused at the mention of 53 Aquarii. There were hundreds of senshi stationed all across the galaxy, all part of the alliance Serenity had formed, the Crystal Guardians formed to protect the Era of Peace. Could one of them have gone rogue? She certainly didn't seem to be here with good intentions.

"I'll read your fortune, I'd say," Kasumi stepped around Rei holding her tarot deck. "I am Kasumi, head Miko and master fortune reader." She approached the stranger, offering the deck. "Shuffle, please, if you want an accurate reading."

53 Aquarii released the bat, letting it fade away before taking the cards and shuffling them. She was somewhat familiar with the power of tarot cards, yet they were foreign enough she didn't know how to properly interpret a reading. However, knowing Kasumi's reputation for readings, the fortune surely would be interesting.

After receiving the deck back, Kasumi knelt down to place the cards on the ground. She flipped the first card over and placed it on the ground. "The Devil. This card indicates one's desire to abandon principle and pursue pleasure." Rarely was the Devil considered a good card in a reading. It was always a sign of bad fortunes, unless it was paired with the Hierophant or the Fool. "The next card should tell us more about what this means."

She flipped over the next card, shifting uncomfortably as she sat on her feet. "The Chariot." She placed the card down next to the Devil. She paused for a moment, considering she should lie about what the cards truly meant together. Falsifying a fortune hardly felt right, and something within her urged her to continue. Perhaps it was a curiosity of her own to see the true nature of the senshi standing before her.

"Combined with the Devil, this indicates that your pursuit for victory will destroy everything you love." Kasumi paused once again, her hand poised over the deck. She glanced at Rei for a moment, noting the high priestess cautiously poised near the doorway with the crows perched on her shoulders. She was close enough to hear the fortune and probably had drawn similar conclusions as Kasumi that 53 Aquarii was bad news.

She drew another card and nearly dropped the deck when she saw it. The cards were acting strangely again, but this time in someone else's fortune instead of her own. "The Black Hole." She placed the card on the ground. She had to think up something, a meaning for this card. This senshi was getting impatient, and she had to offer something for an explanation.

"That's all I needed to know." 53 Aquarii smirked. Drawing her hand over her shoulder, she summoned her purple baseball bat to her hand. Kasumi was blind to the senshi's intentions, looking down at the cards, still trying to fake a meaning for the card.

Rei gasped, wide-eyed, reaching forward in hopes to prevent something horrific from happening. "KASUMI-CHAN!"


	5. I need a doctor

Mizuno Ami had made quite a name for herself. After graduating college and constantly feeding her rivalry with Sasami, Ami continued on in medical school then on after that to a practicing doctor. While not fulfilling her role as part of Serenity's court, she worked as a doctor and medical researcher at the largest hospital in Tokyo. With the effects of the silver crystal, sickness had become rare, leaving much time for research and repairing the occasional broken bones. Ami busied herself mapping out human genomes and working on genetic research.

But as a practicing doctor, there was always one call she never wished to receive.

"Mizuno-sensei," the nurse popped in to Ami's office. "You have a call on line one from a Rei-san. She says it's critically important."

Ami looked up from her computer. Rei rarely called anyone, more often than not busy with ceremonies. If anyone from the shrine would call, it would be Kasumi. As the nurse ducked out of the room, Ami picked up the phone. "It's so rare I hear from you anymore. What's wrong, Rei-chan? What's the emergency?"

...

Ami had never driven so fast in her life. Parking on the street, she ran as quickly as she could up the front stairs. She hadn't bothered to change, still wearing a light blue collared shirt, dark blue pencil skirt and matching heels, and her white medical jacket. She'd thrown as many supplies as she could into a bag which she had slung over her shoulder as she ran.

A crowd had gathered just past the torii gate at the top of the hill. "Um excuse me." She attempted to push her way through the crowd. No one moved. She cleared her throat and did something she hadn't planned on doing. "Excuse me! Please let me through and stop crowding her!" she shouted at them. The crowd turned and noticing her attire, immediately moved.

In the middle of the crowd knelt Rei, still clothed in ceremonial garb. Kasumi was unconscious on the ground, her feet curled under her as she'd been knocked over from a kneeling position, leaving her body a bit twisted. Rei held a damp cloth to her head trying to stop the blood streaming down her face. Her Tarot cards were scattered about on the ground.

Ami pushed the glasses up her nose, making sure she wasn't seeing this situation wrong. It was just as Rei had described. Kasumi had been assaulted by a mysterious senshi calling herself 53 Aquarii.

"I haven't moved her, just as you'd requested," Rei stated, looking up at Ami.

Placing her bag on the ground, she performed a preliminary exam, placing her hands on Kasumi's head and neck, then a brief run up the spine. The attack seemed localized to the head. From her bag she pulled out a stabilizing neck brace to support Kasumi's head. "Gently, let's get her inside."

...

The miko had carefully carried Kasumi to one of the back rooms and propped her up in the bed. The miko had left some time ago, leaving Kasumi with Rei and Ami. The door slid open suddenly. "Is Kasu-chan okay?"

Tsubaki slipped into the room, sliding the door closed behind her. While nearly a millennium had passed, she had kept her hair as short as the day Porrazorite had forcibly cut it short. She'd just returned home to the shrine, where she and Kasumi lived with their daughter, when she heard about the attack.

"She will be," Ami nodded. "I had to put about 20 stitches in her forehead, but she'll be okay. She'll definitely be experiencing some pain when she wakes, up so it's important we let her rest."

Rei drew a hand to her forehead, contemplating the strange situation. "We should find out more about this 53 Aquarii senshi who caused this and how Kasumi-chan's unusual fortune is connected."

Ami paused in the middle of packing up her medical bag. Kasumi read fortunes all the time. She'd become well known for her abilities, yet she could tell Rei didn't mean a standard fortune. "Blank cards?"

After the battle with the Shadow Galaxy, Kasumi filled the senshi in on her vision and what she saw before Pifite had attacked the Hikawa Shrine. Rei confirmed the story, adding she wanted to help Kasumi refine her fortune-telling abilities as a miko within the Shrine.

Rei wasn't sure to shake her head or nod. "It was a rather strange fortune. The cards changed, even moved. They were very specific yet still vague at the same time. The first one that showed up was _black hole_. The same card appeared in 53 Aquarii's fortune. Something's happening, and I believe the others should know."

...

Tsubaki stayed with Kasumi in the shrine, while Rei and Ami, now as Mars and Mercury arrived at the capital. Serenity was particular about keeping senshi and civilian lives apart. She wished for her court to live out their lives and dreams, even if they were separate from duties. While Ami and Rei could've simply arrived in civilians, particularly since Rei was often called the queen's priestess, they chose to arrive as senshi due to the nature of their visit. And after the battle with the Shadow Galaxy, the senshi remained in their trinity forms.

The entryway was somewhat quiet, a few people bustling about in the expansive room. The ceiling seemed to rise up to the heavens, crystals encasing the walls of the structure. The floor had been coated with crystal as well, causing the patterns of moons and swirls beneath to appear to sparkle in the afternoon sunlight.

"Good afternoon, Mercury! Mars!" the small pink-haired princess offered a quick curtsy as she skittered past the two senshi with Hotaru and Momoko, who both offered friendly waves in greeting. The three had just returned from the park where Michiru and Akiko were still setting up the elegant Girls' Day display. Naruru and Ruruna had separated from the group to go shopping, and Chika had left for home. "C'mon, let's go find something to eat!"

"Homework!" Momoko shouted after her. "We still have a lot of biology to do!"

Small Lady groaned. "I can't do homework on an empty stomach! We'll do it! I promise!"

The trio of small girls rounded the corner and down the hallway towards the expansive kitchen, leaving Mercury and Mars to continue on their initiative. Fortunately their intended target was in the next room.

"Saturnalius," Mercury stated.

"Mercury," the purple senshi returned, folding her arms as she stared at Mercury. After nearly a millennium, their rivalry continued. While the two lead completely different lives, Mercury living out her dream as a doctor, Saturnalius lived almost primarily as a senshi, acting as the personal royal guard and strategist. Even so, they still continued to attempt to outdo one another.

Staring, the two seemed to silently converse, though Saturnalius was the first to speak. Her normally flat expression showed slight concern. "Come with me." She motioned the two to follow her into a side room, shutting the door behind them. The room wasn't large, coated in crystal as everything within the castle was, and was a small meeting room complete with a touchscreen computer on the side wall. "Am I understanding you correctly? There was an attack?"

Mars nodded. "By a senshi calling herself 53 Aquarii. We're hoping you can tell us more about the other star systems and their senshi."

As a strategist, Saturnalius spent days on end studying the stars and the expansive population of the Crystal Guardians. While she didn't know them all personally, she knew of which systems had senshi and which had not yet established one. She tapped the computer, activating it then pulling up a map of Aquarius. "Here," she tapped a bright star system near the constellation. "This is 53 Aquarii. It's a yellow binary star system with several inhabited planets within the region. It's approximately 65 light years from here. I've met him only once. A rather strange senshi with the tendency to end most sentences with 'yeah.' Reminds me somewhat of Tsu."

"_Him?!_" Mars stared at Saturnalius, wide-eyed.

Saturnalius nodded. "There are quite a good number of male senshi within the Guardians. Merkkur aside, of course." Merkkur was an exception, as she identified as female.

"No, no," Mars waved her surprise off. "I'm aware of this. The 53 Aquarii who assaulted Kasumi-chan was female."

"Is it possible to have two guardians?" Mercury chimed in. She hated to admit it, but she wasn't as knowledgeable about the Guardians as Saturnalius was. Right now wasn't the time for rivalry, however. Kasumi wasn't in the greatest of shape, and there was potentially a rogue senshi on the loose. "Or worse. Could she have stolen his star seed?"

Saturnalius paused. "Stolen?"

Mercury nodded. "When we fought Shadow Galactica, some of the members had killed and stolen star seeds from senshi to become senshi themselves."

"We can't rule out the possibility just yet," Saturnalius noted, tucking Mercury's information away for future research. "I'll contact 53 Aquarii. But until we know for certain, be cautious. If there's one, there's a distinct possibility there may be another."


	6. The author

It was rare to see Shana out and about. While Shana had missed most of the battle with the Shadow Galaxy, she found herself one of Pifite's first victims, caught in a battle she didn't fully understand. The final battle against Chaos, she lent her power to Sailor Moon to help bring peace back to the world. It was then she finally understood what it meant to be a senshi. She was finally proud of being Sailor Plutonium.

Since the rise of the new Silver Millennium, Shana absorbed herself in writing, drafting her famous series called _Romance of the Moon Kingdom._ It was based loosely on her memories as Kouri, the princess of the ice planet Plutonium. While the memories were foggy, she filled in the rest with romanticized tales of love and a battle for power between three distinct kingdoms, the Moon Kingdom, the Shadow Galaxy (dubbed the Shadow Kingdom), and the Dark Kingdom.

Shana had just finished a book signing before she fled down the street and away from the crowd. They were truly too much for her at times, especially the particularly otaku ones. The crowd noticed her and began to follow her, so she fled more quickly, rounding the corner and ducking into Cafe Eclipse. She dove into a booth and the crowd simply carried on down the street, demanding autographs and hints about the upcoming movie based on the books.

Minako peered under the table. "You okay there, Shana-chan?"

"A-are they gone?" Shana stammered, peering back at Minako. It was far too early in the day for this. Her nerves were already shot and it wasn't even noon yet.

After a quick glance, Minako nodded, offering a hand to help Shana up. "We need to get you acclimated to crowds. You're a super star, after all. You're going to have lots of fans."

"I just want to write beautiful fairy tales," Shana objected. She wanted to write about the tales she saw in her head. She wanted to put her thoughts down on paper, regardless of whether anyone read them or not. Minako wanted the attention; Shana just wanted to write.

"Tell ya what, come with me." Minako turned Shana around and forcibly pushed her into the back room. A few minutes later, the two girls returned. Minako had taken Shana's hair down from her iconic ponytail, braided her hair down both sides of her head, then joined the braids in the back into one large superbraid which reached down past her waist, tied off with her bright blue scrunchie. Minako had also shoved her into a bright yellow sundress dress very much not her style.

"There!" Minako declared, rather proud of her work. "You should be able to walk around unnoticed now!"

She was right. Shana barely recognized herself in the mirror. "Thank you," she smiled. But there was something else on her mind. "Minako-chan. I had something I wished to ask you."

"Sure, anything," Minako nodded, taking a brief second to mentally undress the cute boy who walked past the cafe window.

"I wanted to ask you if you'd sing the main theme for the movie based on my book," Shana offered.

Minako blinked, uncertain she'd heard the statement correctly at first. "Really?" Minako had pursued her idol career for a bit, but it was Venus who had become somewhat of an idol, singing at ceremonies and festivals hosted by the royal court. Minako, however, remained the waitress. Not that she complained, as she did enjoy working with Tsubaki, Makoto, and Akiko, but she still dreamed of idol days.

Shana nodded. "I think your voice is truly beautiful. It's perfect for _Romance of the Moon Kingdom_." She had always admired Minako's voice and was probably her biggest closet fan. "Can you imagine? Idol Minako-chan. Unless you'd prefer to be Idol V-chan. As long as you sing, it doesn't matter to me who you come as."

Minako paused some more. She hadn't expected Shana to say anything like this She didn't even know Shana enjoyed her music. Her expression quickly shifted from surprised to smug. "Ohoho, of course you want the great goddess of love to sing for you! You can count on me! It'll be the greatest theme song you've ever heard!"

"This is great, Minako-chan!" Shana agreed excitedly. "I've been wishing on a star so much, afraid you'd say no, but I'm so glad you said yes!"

"You can always count on the amazing V-chan," Minako smugly pointed out. While she sounded boisterous, it was also very true. She'd give someone the shirt off her back if it meant helping a friend.

The bell above the entrance door rang as a very strange girl walked in. Shana immediately dove behind Minako to shield her from rabid fans then quickly realized she was still in Minako's yellow sundress and looked nothing like her usual self. The girl didn't seem like her regular sort of fan, appearing as if she'd walked out of a Shakesperean play with a modern twist. Her deep purple hair was pulled back into a massive bun, two strands hanging down to shape her face. She wore a white peasant top under a black simple corset laced up the front. Her cupcake purple skirt was knee-length, frilled out over several layers of tulle and lace.

"I bid you good morrow," the girl offered a polite bow.

Shana stared. "She looks like she's walked straight out of a feudal era fairy tale," she whispered to Minako, who quickly agreed.

"What can we do for you?" Minako offered.

"I know naught of what to be expected from such a lovely establishment," the girl replied.

Minako blinked stupidly. Was she speaking some form of archaic keigo? It was far too formal for her to really understand, and made her sound like some sort of samurai.

"Ohoho, we offer all sorts of sweets, both traditional and modern," Akiko filled in for Minako. She and Makoto heard the extremely formal speech from the kitchen as they were finishing up their morning bake-off. The cafe was surprisingly empty for one of their competitions, but with other events going on in the area, many people had been in and out already, grabbing something sweet for breakfast.

"I am Daimon Akiko," she introduced herself. "And with Makoto-shi we run this Cafe. Welcome~"

Minako frowned. Leave it to miss Yamato Nadeshiko to understand what the samurai girl was saying.

"Shizuka Hitomi," the girl bowed. "'tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Makoto-dono, Akiko-dono. I have only recently arrived and know little of the local cuisine."

"Ohoho, from far away, I presume?" Akiko inquired politely, rounding the counter to be more personable to their unusual guest. Makoto remained behind the counter, leaning on it as she watched the spectacle of an exchange between the two.

"Aye," Hitomi nodded. "Quite the venture I had."

"Ohoho, no doubt," Akiko tittered, holding a hand delicately up to her mouth. The conversation was quite pleasant, something she hadn't had for some time. Her usual conversations involved rivalry or dumbing things down to more casual speak. "I do hope it treated you well, Hitomi-shi."

Minako and Shana stared. It was hard to tell if the two were talking about a trek across the country or across the galaxy.

"Where's Tsubaki-chan?" Shana nudged Minako. "This seems like something she'd enjoy far too much." While Tsubaki didn't speak keigo by any means, she seemed to have a flair for the strange. She also was excessively friendly, even with strangers.

Minako shrugged. "She said something about not coming in today." The statement was definitely odd, but Minako hadn't really put much thought into it. Tsubaki could be flighty sometimes, but now that she thought about it, there was something about the message that seemed off. Hopefully nothing had happened to her cute little daughter.

"I hope no wicked witches have cursed her," Shana bit her finger for a moment. She'd had enough of witches poisoning the apples after the battle with the Shadow Galaxy.

"No no, nothing like that," Minako waved off the notion. With the Era of Peace, nothing like that would ever happen. She had considered the possibility that the Black Moon Clan could arrive, but she also knew that the arrival of the Eclipse senshi had changed things. Perhaps it was in that separate timeline thing Ami once attempted to describe.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Minako continued. "But even so, we should bring her some cake later on."

Shana nodded. It had been some time since she felt like a non-celebrity. Paying Tsubaki a visit could be fun.

…

**Author's musings and notes**

Hitomi's manner of speaking is extremely archaic and formal, something along the lines of keigo (search TVTropes for Keigo, scroll down to examples, and read the "increasingly humble" conjugations). It is a particularly formal form of Japanese that generally classifies a character as old fashioned, polite, and humble (think samurai). When you get into the extremely polite forms of speak, they're incredibly drawn out and sometimes difficult to follow for a non-Japanese speaker (it throws me off omg). While Akiko probably speaks a light form of keigo, Hitomi's is extremely thick to a point of being ridiculous.

Often it is translated as being high class British in dubs, so I've gone for a more medieval tone because I like really strange manners of speaking. I want it to sound so formal and archaic you absolutely cannot mistake it for something else.

Hitomi's outfit is making fun of how archaic she sounds.

Shizuka Hitomi 静加 瞳. I gave her the name mostly because of how similar it sounds to her original English name Helen Serenity. Shizuka means quiet, and Serenity is sometimes the dub name for Shizuka. Hitomi means "pupil of the eyes", given to someone with pretty eyes.


	7. The royal advisor is really a stand-in

It had been once again another exhausting day for the royal advisor Osaka Naru. Once again, the king and queen were "sick" with sudden fevers and exhaustion at the exact time they were needed with a public appearance. This was the new Silver Millennium. People didn't get _sick_ anymore, and Naru knew it. Regardless, she stood on the podium, delivering the message to the people with Sailor Sun at her side.

Girls' Day was in a few days, and the royal family was expected to make a proper appearance, along with the high priestess of the Hikawa Shrine, to do a proper traditional ceremony to usher in good fortune. Without it, the evil spirits would surely curse the land. At least that's what tradition said would happen.

Naru wasn't one to believe in superstition. She didn't particularly believe the dolls harbored evil spirits either. However, after the battle in Shinjuku MS and all the weird things that happened leading up to it, Naru wasn't putting anything to chance anymore. The festival absolutely had to go on as scheduled. And the queen was being a child again.

Naru flung open the door to the royal chambers, expecting to find Serenity and Endymion in bed, faking sickness as they giggled about something under the covers, but instead they were looking out over the city on the balcony. Huffing, Naru strode over, her heels angrily clicking on the crystalline floor. Her long formal dress caught the wind coming in from the balcony, billowing out behind her.

"Serenity," Naru frowned, pulling on her best friend's ear. She was completely ignoring protocol, but Naru rarely followed it away from the public eye.

"Oooowie," Serenity whined like a child. "Naru-chaaaan, what are you doing?!"

Naru frowned some more. "You're acting like a child. You're avoiding responsibility!" She jabbed her finger at Endymion. "You're really no better."

Endymion simply honored the accusation with a shrug. She wasn't wrong. They were acting childish, avoiding responsibility and leaving it all to Naru. True, Naru could handle it extremely well, but it still wasn't necessarily fair.

"Naru-chan!" Serenity whined some more. "Please let go! We have a good reason, okay?"

Naru narrowed her eyes. This would be good. It always was.

Serenity rubbed her ear gingerly, finally free of Naru's vice-like grip. "Look, do you remember when I told you about the UFOs?"

Naru paused. That conversation was a long time ago, but she remembered it as if they'd spoke just yesterday. Usagi had been sick for two days after the second attack by that strange general Pifite. Naru brought her chicken noodle soup along with Sasami and Juri. She remembered it so clearly, as everything started to make sense. The strange events that surrounded Tokyo, Usagi's assemblage of friends, even the senshi. It all came together. Everything became clear.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"The people who came with those UFOs, they called themselves the Black Moon Clan," Serenity continued. "They weren't from that time, they were from _this_ one. When Chibiusa first appeared from the future, she was about this age, about 900."

"The clan, with the help of an aspect of Chaos, began poisoning Crystal Tokyo, unleashing chaos across the land," Endymion added.

"And while I know we chose our own fate, changing the future into something we all wished to create," Serenity continued, "there's still that fear that the Black Moon Clan, even Chaos, will return once again."

"I've had this strange feeling," Endymion added, "that something is off, something is wrong. For the past two days, something just feels off."

"That's why we had to skip," Serenity concluded. "So we could keep watching over everything, to make sure Chaos hadn't returned. I hope you can forgive us."

Naru unfolded her arms. How could she be mad after an explanation like that? She drew her friend into her arms for a tight embrace. "Always watching, always thinking about everyone's well-being." Her friend may now be queen of a new Era, but she was still the same Usagi underneath. That same ever-vigilant Sailor Moon still continued shining in her heart.

"But," Naru added, pulling away then socking Serenity in the shoulder, "next time, tell me these things! Geez!"

Serenity giggled even as she rubbed her shoulder gingerly. Naru was still the same, nearly a millennium later, still ever protective with a mean right hook. "Okay okay! I surrender! I'll tell you next time. I promise!"

...

The day had been once again a long one and Naru still wasn't done. She'd dressed down, wearing a simple orange turtleneck and blue flared skirt tied in the back with a ribbon-like bow. The peach blossoms were in bloom, coinciding perfectly with the Girls' Day celebration. Some of the blossoms fluttered by in the wind.

But Naru wasn't here to look at peach blossoms, no matter how beautiful they were. She had to go fish her younger sister out of a store again. Naruru had run off with Ruruna to go spend money. True, they had money now that Naru was the royal advisor, but that didn't mean Naruru needed to go blow it all in one day in the Guccicci store. Naruru had an obsession that needed to be addressed.

Naru paused for a moment, taking the opportunity to look out over the city. In the afternoon sun, the place glistened just like crystals. Nearly a millennium later, and the place still impressed her. She didn't want to lose the place to any form of Chaos. She still recalled how destructive that Shadow Galaxy had become. After the battle, Usagi detailed what had happened in Shinjuku MS to everyone, including Naru. She told them of her conversation with Chaos. She told them of what Queen Galaxia had intended on doing. She told them of how she stopped them with everyone's help.

Presently, Serenity and Endymion's story about the UFOs and the Black Moon Clan was still fresh in Naru's mind. If Chaos did return, would she have any power to help stop it? Even with her close position to Serenity and the senshi, she still felt like a mortal among gods.

Caught in her own thoughts, she hadn't noticed someone approach her. She was a an unknown senshi not much taller than Naru. Her deep aqua hair was pulled back into what would be pigtails if she hadn't tightly rolled it into loops. On either side, two loops intersected each other, twirling around and eventually becoming one large loop that nearly reached her shoulders.

Her sailor collar was navy blue with one magenta stripe which matched her choker and heart necklace she wore. Her front bow was the same color, accented by an equally magenta brooch shaped like an 8-pointed star. Her outfit was two pieces, showing off her midriff. She wore no skirt but instead pants with a X-shaped waist band, the center of the x situated right below her belly button. The sides of the X were cut out, showing off her hips. At the bottom of her navy blue pants were two stripes, white over magenta. Her gloves were short, reaching about half-way up her forearm and capped with two magenta rings.

She observed Naru for a moment, watching the advisor as she babbled something about Guccicci. "Osaka Naru."

Naru turned suddenly. She hadn't noticed anyone behind her and was surprised to someone she knew. "Theta Draconis?" As an advisor, Naru had encountered many senshi from across the galaxy. They came to visit on occasion, though mostly for diplomatic measures. She'd seen Theta Draconis once, and the girl was particularly memorable, mostly because of her odd hair and often incomprehensible manner of speaking. But the girl had changed her outfit, choosing pants instead of a more standard skirt. "What are you doing here?"

"So yeah," Theta Draconis replied, "it's Sailor Space Gas now. And I'm penciling in a schedule change, kay?" She crossed her arms in front of her, making an x shape with them. Smirking, she called out a command, "Harmonic distortion."


	8. Sonic resonance

There were certain calls a doctor never wanted to receive and this week, Ami had received two. This time, however, the victim wasn't whom she'd expected. It wasn't another civilian senshi, but instead the victim had been Naru. Ami pushed her way through the crowd to find Minako and Shana kneeling next to Naru. Shana was still wearing her hair braided and wearing one of Minako's dresses, which caused Ami to pause for a moment and consider who the blond might be. Reasoning the answer by logical deduction, Ami and Minako shooed away the rest of the crowd so Naru would have room to breathe.

The advisor had curled up into a fetal position, cupping her ears and crying. "Make the noise stop..." she mumbled. "So much noise."

Ami knelt down next to Naru, placing a hand on her shoulder. There didn't seem to be any sort of physical injury, unlike the last one, though Ami couldn't tell if anything had physically happened to her ears. Despite her best efforts, Ami simply couldn't get Naru to remove her hands from them.

"It's so loud..." Naru murmured again.

"What's so loud, Naru-chan?" Ami asked, attempting to make some sense of her babbling. Her mind was filled with potential sources of noise, everything from large buzzing beetles to fireworks. The further her mind went, the less likely each scenario became.

"There was this loud noise," Shana answered for Naru. "We both heard it. It sounded like someone dropping a really large xylophone."

Minako nodded with a rather troubled look on her face. "It was really strange. I've never heard something like that before, and I've seen my share of concerts." Most of her concerts involved seeing her idols perform on stage. Few of them seemed to involve more orchestral instruments like xylophones, though one did involve a marimba. It was the closest sound she could really associate with the odd noise.

"Then there was a scream," Shana added. "That's when we came running and found Naru-chan. I really hope it's not a bad apple."

Ami paused. Shana's analogy wasn't actually that far off. There was at least one bad apple running around, but the attack didn't match up. Perhaps there were two. "I think we need to get Naru-chan to the Hikawa Shrine. Something is definitely amiss."

Carefully the two blonds helped Ami pick up Naru and sling her over Ami's back in a fireman's carry. Minako supported Naru's back and the three were off down the street. But they weren't alone. They were being watched.

"Loki's struck again, though the M.O.'s definitely different this time. It's like reading two separate comics," the redhead observed.

"Slightly too late we were once again," the girl with the bun sighed. "A civilian hath been caught twixt the crossfire."

"Just how many'a these rogues we got here anyway?" the girl with the purple hair twirled a strand around her finger mindlessly.

"Currently two," the redhead opened up a notepad and scribbled a few things out. A comic book fell from her book as she wrote. It was a recent issue, just out this morning. She hadn't finished reading it yet. "But, I don't think we're the only heroines on the case. That doctor. I'm pretty sure she's a senshi. Just not sure which one."

"Twice hath she appeared," the girl with the bun nodded, noting her first appearance as at the Shrine.

"Ya think we should talk t' her?" the purple-haired girl asked, still twirling her hair.

"We shan't," the girl with the bun quickly replied.

"Might need to break a few rules," the redhead suggested. She leaned over, fishing the comic out of the street and shaking the dirt off. "Lawful good isn't always the only way to do things. Too late and someone might get killed."

The girl with the bun glanced out to where Naru once lay curled up. The redhead wasn't wrong, but they surely couldn't break an ancient code.

...

The mood within the inner room of the Shrine was rather somber. Rei had finished a healing rite on both Kasumi and Naru before returning to the central room where the senshi often met nearly a millennium ago. The place had since changed purposes, becoming a room where Kasumi often read fortunes. The decor had remained the same, retaining its traditional appearance straight down to the potted bamboo growing in the corner.

Ami ran some calculations on her tablet while the others remained silent, staring at each other nervously. Rei set tea on the table before sitting herself, tucking her feet beneath her body properly.

Rei took a large sip of tea, breathing in a heavy sigh before slamming the teacup on the table. "How can this be happening?! This is an era of peace!"

While Minako and Shana seemed a bit shook up, Ami simply sipped her tea, setting it down before returning to her tablet. "The injuries between the two are vastly different. We don't even know if the second one was truly an attack or simply the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Has the evil queen returned with a new batch of poison apples?" Shana murmured nervously, fishing in her bag for her glasses. She'd since started wearing them after staring at the computer for days on end, writing novel after novel. She didn't need them all the time, but she needed something to fiddle with.

"I wouldn't say you're wrong just yet." The door to the room slid open and an unexpected fifth member stepped in.

"Daimon Sasami!" Ami exclaimed.

Since the advent of Crystal Tokyo, Sasami had been a rare sight. She preferred to stay as the guard of the royal family, as Saturnalius. She was living out her dream, Satsu's dream and her own, of being near to Serenity. Right now, something was threatening that dream.

"Mizuno Ami," Sasami stated back, rather flatly. It was only customary for the two to greet one another in the most demanding of tones, then proceed to stare down one another in a silent debate. Not much had truly changed between the two. They seemed to speak silently and wordlessly for a moment before breaking gaze quicker than usual. "I appreciate the information of the advisor, though I wish it were better news."

"I thought you should know," Rei replied. "While Ami-chan isn't convinced, I'm pretty sure Naru-chan was attacked by a senshi as well."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Sasami approached the table, sitting rather informally across from Ami and next to Shana. "After your report of 53 Aquarii's attack, I did some research. I contacted the star system and they confirmed that there is in fact a second senshi. Unregistered, which is why I'd never heard of her. They've dubbed her 53 Aquarii Beta."

"And one day she just decided to travel here to Earth, demand a tarot reading, then senselessly beat Kasumi-chan?" Rei frowned, picking up her teacup for another sip.

"Someone's poisoning the water," Shana mumbled into her teacup. Her mind was running wildly with fanciful ideas of an evil witch in a cloak tempting senshi with poisoned water bottles. Apples were the classic means, of course, but perhaps they were too expected. Water was easier to distribute.

Sasami paused. Rei's statement had brought up a new piece of information she hadn't noticed. "Her fortune?"

It suddenly dawned on Rei that no one else had seen it. "Right before the attack, Kasumi showed me a rather strange fortune. The cards were rather particular, but I just couldn't make sense of them. Neither of us could. But when 53 Aquarii demanded a fortune, the first card from the previous fortune showed up. Black hole."

Ami paused her analysis, placing the tablet down on the table. Across the screen were charts and line graphs along with numbers and figures printed out. "Perhaps that has something to do with Naru-chan's babbling. She kept saying 'Space gas.'"

Rei shook her head. "I don't remember that being in the fortune, but we can't exactly count that out." She set her teacup down on the table, this time delicately instead of slamming it. "We need Kasumi-chan to wake up."

Sasami glanced at Ami for a moment, and the two seemed to exchange some sort of words. "53 Aquarii's sudden disappearance from her post was dubbed 'highly unusual' and that her personality changed overnight. There is definitely something going on here, a conspiracy of sorts. Someone _is_ poisoning the water."


	9. The day before the festival

"Uwa, can you believe it, Momo-chan?! Girls' Day is tomorrow!" Small Lady happily clasped her friends hands between her own in excitement. It was a big festival, and she was happy to not be shoved into her formal position this time. She could enjoy the festival as Chibiusa for once.

"Right right?" Momoko returned the excitement. "The peach blossoms are in full bloom too! We should go see them _and_ the display before everyone else gets there!"

"Let's go to the park!" Small Lady cheered. "Come with us, Chika-chan! Hotaru-chan!"

The four girls agreed and headed off towards the park. Kyuusuke had refused to join them, still uneasy about how the dolls looked. They always stared at him like they were trying to bore through his soul. His loss, they agreed. They'd simply have to drag him out for some fun after the celebration tomorrow.

The four paused at the intersection to wait for the walk sign to appear when Small Lady felt hands wrap around her shoulders. Hotaru instinctively grabbed for Small Lady's arm to drag her away from the invader, leaving the intruder to grab for the air.

The invader was their age but a little taller than Small Lady, paralleling Hotaru's height. Her hair was stark white with ice blue streaks in the bangs and two down the back. Her hair was braided, reaching barely past her shoulders, accented with two blue clips on the side. She wore a bold blue yukata tied at the waist with a flower print obi sash. Her sleeves were a bit long, causing her to wrap her fingers around the edges to keep from losing her hands within them. "So harsh, Hotaru-chaaan. I just wanted to hug Chibiusa-hime~ "

The girl wasn't an ordinary invader, but a regular one. While she attended T.A. Girls' Academy, separate from the Juuban Elementary group, she was often invited to play with them. Hana Akemi knew most of the group by association with the royal court. Akemi wasn't an ordinary girl, after all. She was Kasumi and Tsubaki's daughter with a personality that fit.

Akemi wasn't a senshi herself, at least not yet. She hadn't shown any signs of power as a senshi. Instead she showed prowess in the mystical arts and was currently training as a miko. She was aware of the attack on Kasumi, but Rei and Tsubaki had assured her that Kasumi would be just fine.

Hotaru folded her arms. "Don't lie, Akemi-chan." It wasn't that Hotaru didn't like Akemi but that Akemi constantly hung on Small Lady. The two constantly fought for the pink princess's attention, though Small Lady loved both equally.

"I would hug you too, but you won't let me," Akemi objected playfully, moving over to the side and quickly dragging Momoko into a hug. "I'll hug Momo-chan too~ "

"Hi, Akemi-chan!" Momoko hugged her back. "I'm glad you could make it! Such a cute yukata too!"

"Thank you, darling~ " Akemi gave the girls a twirl. "Tsu-mama picked it out for me~."

"Golly, that is pretty," Chika nodded.

"Oh and who might you be?" Akemi immediately glued herself to the new girl. "A new friend? Let's be friends too~ "

Chika laughed nervously as Akemi invaded her personal space. "My name is Chika. It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine~ " Akemi continued to hug Chika until the girl thought she would pop from the pressure, leaving Chika to wonder what she'd done to deserve this sort of abuse.

Hotaru folded her arms around Small Lady's, pulling on it slightly. "Let's go to the park already! The light's green!"

...

The park was already bustling with activity. Some people had stopped to view the peach blossoms, admiring their beauty as they fluttered about in the light spring breeze. Others had stopped to sit by the nearby lake, admiring the scenery from afar. And the rest had gathered around the display Akiko and Michiru had set up earlier that week. The festival was tomorrow and everyone wanted to get photos of the display before the dolls were set down the river to send off bad energy.

Small Lady frowned sharply, attempting to stand on her tiptoes to see around the taller high school girls. "I can't see anything."

"Be patient," Momoko advised. "They'll move soon enough."

Chika stood behind the group, watching everyone interact. She knit her hands behind her back, patiently waiting. It would be their turn soon enough. In front of them was a group of school girls all giggling excitedly about the upcoming festival.

Among them someone stuck out as rather strange, wearing a corseted outfit and a frilled skirt. She had her hair pulled into a single massive bun with two strands falling down the side. Accompanying her was a redhead. The two left first, heading off towards the peach trees to watch the blossoms.

The group moved in closer to notice also among the crowd were a couple, the girl wearing a long blue dress pulled in at the waist with a belt and a matching sunhat. The boy wore a matching outfit, a pair with hers, though he wore pants and a blue shirt similar in style. They knit their hands together as they took a look at the dolls. The two turned to see the group of young girls approach. "Oh hello there, everyone~" the girl welcomed them.

"Haruka-chan! Michiru-chan!" Small Lady leapt forward to greet them both. "You both look so cute today!"

Michiru waved for the girls to come in and get a closer look, letting them stand in front of her so they could see the display better. The girls quickly crowded the front lines, save Chika who remained near the back. She continued to knit her fingers behind her back, rolling her weight forward on her toes.

"Is something wrong, Chika-chan?" Momoko turned from the display, beckoning her new friend to come closer. "Come on, get a close look while we can!"

Chika shook her head. "I'm alright. I'm not so good with crowds."

"We'll take pictures for you then!" Small Lady suggested, pulling out her phone. She carried it everywhere with her, pink with a rabbit charm. She used it for everything but most importantly, she used it to take photos and create digital memories.

Aiming her phone up at the display, she focused on the top row, snapping a photo of the imperial dolls. They sure looked like mama and papa. Akiko and Michiru did a beautiful job with them. Zooming in, she took a close-up picture of the princess. The doll looked like a mature version of herself, appearing about 15 with longer hair and a more adult figure. She was pretty, and Small Lady hoped she would one day look like that.

She moved to take a photo of the second row when Haruka suddenly jumped and pulled the girls down to the ground and safely beneath her.

"Ha-haruka-chan!" Small Lady whined. "What was-" She stopped as she peered over Haruka's shoulder. Above the display formed an unusual black and blue swirling vortex. "What is that?!"

The vortex expanded from the size of a dinner plate to several yards across. The portal began swirling faster and faster until it seemingly spit out two people. They fell from the sky, landing on the Girls' Day display, crushing the dolls beneath their heeled boots. The two senshi stood tall over the crowd, smirking as they looked down upon their prey, immediately finding their target among them.

The senshi with two buns smirked, announcing their presence. "Hello, losers. Fun time's over."

…

**Author's notes**

Tsubaki and Kasumi's daugher: Hana Akemi 明美 (bright beauty).

You'll see this a lot in the anime. Pair outfits. Apparently it was a trend in the 90s in Japan to wear matching outfits or ones similar to each other to denote a couple. Often times public displays of affection were frowned upon (no PDAs kthx), so couples would wear "pair outfits" to denote they were going out. Haruka and Michiru wear these practically _all the time_ in the anime. While I'm sure the fashion has gone out of style by the time Crystal Tokyo comes around, I doubt they'd stop such a habit. I mean, it's just too cute.


	10. Targets

Waiting would only cause more harm. Saturnalius had spent the last hour discussing strategy and possible means to find this rogue senshi and stop her. Or them.

There were now two injuries, both minor but severe enough to make an impact. Neither Saturnalius nor Mercury was fully convinced the acts were random. The first attack specifically requested a fortune from Kasumi. The second took down the royal advisor. They were definitely targeted, though neither could tell why or how many targets their plan entailed. Or if they were acting alone.

Mercury informed Saturnalius of the past future threat, of the Black Moon and how they'd poisoned the Crystal Tokyo they knew before. She also told her that they'd all changed the future, that the future with the Black Moon wasn't necessarily the one they were living in.

It was all Chaos Theory in the end. The theory was that one small change in the past could affect the future in unpredictable ways. A butterfly's wings could turn into a hurricane in the future. Time travel was risky because of this theory. Stepping on a bug in the past could drastically alter the future.

The Eclipse senshi's involvement in the past had changed the future the lunar senshi thought they knew. They'd created a new timeline, for better or worse, deviating from the one Chibiusa had shown them in the fight against the Black Moon. Until this week, everything had been for better. Then it suddenly turned worse.

Saturnalius leaned forward on her desk, pressing her fist into her cheek. She heavily weighed the possible courses of action and the effects each one could potentially have. She wanted to nip the situation in the bud as swiftly as possible. The longer this drew out, the more potential casualties they could have on their hands. More casualties could lead to widespread panic and distrust. While there was that overall faith in Serenity and her power, there was still that sliver of a possibility that things could turn completely sour in the hand of the rogue senshi. "We need to stop these rogue senshi while we still can."

"Agreed," Mercury nodded, leaning back in her chair. She brushed her fingers across the tablet, glancing at the information the two had shared. Mercury was more knowledgeable about the attacks outside, and Saturnalius had the information about the stars and their senshi. Together, the two were trying to piece a jigsaw puzzle together with half the pieces missing. "Yet how? We know virtually nothing about this second senshi, or even if there _is_ one."

"We're missing something here," Saturnalius frowned, thumbing through the various star charts and senshi information. Senshi were notoriously difficult to track, due to the nature of their magic. If a rogue were hiding amidst their own ranks, picking her out would be terribly difficult in civilian form. "I'm not entirely convinced the second attack was the same as the first. According to reports, 53 Aquarii Beta's abilities involve light, not shattering ear drums."

"And yet she attacked Kasumi-chan with a baseball bat," Mercury pointed out.

Saturnalius frowned. Mercury had a very valid point. "Regardless of methods, this 53 Aquarii and potential accomplices might have more information on us than we realize. Perhaps she attacked the head miko for her fortunes alone. Perhaps she knew that she was Jupitercouri."

"The demand for fortunes seems to indicate the former," Mercury pointed out, flipping through more diagrams and numbers. "But what of Naru-chan? Her identity, unlike ours, is public."

"We've left her an open target," Saturnalius frowned sharply. Naru's involvement in the final fight against the Shadow Galaxy was integral. She pointed out the location pictured in Kasumi's cards. She'd pointed them in the direction for the final fight. She was invaluable, and it only made sense she'd become the queen's advisor. But had they done her an injustice by leaving her defenseless.

"She took the position by choice," Mercury corrected her. She knew Saturnalius well enough to know what she was thinking. "She wanted to remain by our side, to be with the senshi and ultimately Serenity. They've been best friends since elementary school. And besides," Mercury added, "Naru-chan's a smart girl. If she thought anything was threatening her, she would've told us and wouldn't have gone out alone."

Again, another valid point. "True." She couldn't refute the fact. That was how Naru really was. Kasumi wasn't all that different. "We might need to pull other resources in on this. We should speak with-"

She was quickly interrupted by a guard pounding on her office door.

"Come," she waved him in.

"Forgive the interruption, commander," he bowed politely. "They've been spotted."

"They?!" Mercury echoed.

"Two rogue senshi," he nodded. "They've attacked the park where the Girls' Day display is set up. I'm afraid the princess and her friends are there."

...

They stood on the Girls' Day display, crushing the dolls Akiko and Michiru had worked so hard to create. The two were about the same height, both unknown senshi with one foot on the top tier of the display, the second on the third tier.

The one in black and maroon had her hair pulled into buns, one on each side with curls framing her face. She tapped her shoulder with a maroon-colored baseball bat which was slightly bloodied at the end.

The other in blue and magenta had deep aqua hair curled into multiple loops. She held a matching blue rod, about forearm in length. It was round at the end, almost completely spherical translucent shell over a strange star-like shape within.

Both had appeared just once before, leaving people bloodied in their wake, yet this was the first time they'd appeared together.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Michiru demanded. She'd knelt beside Haruka to shield the girls from the strange senshi.

"So yeah," the one in blue replied, "I'm Sailor Space Gas. We're here to break apart your stupid little celebration, kay?"

The black-clad senshi added with a smirk, "Sailor Black Hole here to ruin your day."

"Black Hole?" Space Gas glanced at her partner in crime with a bit of a confused look. "Really?"

"As if Space Gas is any better," she frowned, punching her accomplice in the shoulder. She was losing sight of the situation, which could only spell danger if the senshi came flocking to the park. Their target was in sight, though well guarded. Tomoe Hotaru had connections with the royal court and needed to be maimed. Problem was, she was always surrounded by other people, particularly that pink-haired moppet. Getting her alone was near impossible, so they'd go through anyone who got in the way.

"Now surrender Tomoe Hotaru 'n well be on our way, yeah?" Black Hole demanded, brandishing her bat at Haruka and the girls huddled beneath her.

With Haruka still using herself as a shield for the girls, Michiru was left standing behind them. She couldn't quite transform and fight the aggressive senshi. Serenity had a strict policy to keep civilian and senshi life separate. She wanted the senshi to continue to live their civilian lives outside the court and castle. Few remained full-time senshi. Most continued to hold their civilian identities and live out their dreams. Michiru and Haruka were no different. They lived out their dreams, even wed. But these two senshi were threatening that and their adopted daughter, Hotaru.

Michiru wasn't an accomplished fighter, her sport of preference being swimming. She probably couldn't fend off the senshi in a battle of strength, but she could delay them in a battle of linguistics. With such an open appearance, word probably spread and senshi were on their way. "Why would you want Hotaru?" Michiru questioned, her stance remained strong despite her opposition. "She's done nothing wrong."

"That's non'a yer business," Black Hole replied, tilting her head slightly as she smirked. She began smacking the bat into the open palm of her hand threateningly. A devious smirk spread across her features. She had no hesitation fighting through some civilians in order to reach the target. She didn't want to disappoint _him._ She had to follow through with this else her desires would never be realized.

Michiru had to stall them more, keep them talking. The longer she could make them wait, the more chance she had of other senshi arriving to help out. She reached for her watch but remembered she took it off that morning in favor of a new bracelet Haruka had bought for her. No matter. She'd continue to stand her ground. "That _is _my business. She's very important to me."

"That so?" Black Hole smirked.

Perhaps that wasn't the right thing to say. "It is." She couldn't exactly redact the statement. What's said was said, now out in the open.

"Well then I'll just hafta take care'a ya first," Black Hole pulled her bat backwards, preparing an attack.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, yeah."

"Huh?" Black Hole blinked, surprised at the intruder. Even Michiru had to pause and stare. "Who the hell're you?!"

Before them further down the pathway stood a mysterious senshi towering over the cowering audience. She was about average height. Her purple hair was long, reaching down nearly to her knees, pulled halfway into a braid. Her sailor outfit was a stark white collar with one blue and one green zigzag stripe. She seemed a bit mismatched with one glove blue and the other green, yet the colors matched the two stripes on her waistband and at the bottom of her skirt. Her front and back bows were a metallic silver, matching the ribbons up her upper arm, forming a lattice pattern. She wore platform sandals tied with matching silver ribbons. She had numerous piercings, three in each ear and one in her belly button.

"I am the Silver Eclipse," she announced. "Sailor Silver Star. 's time I dealt with ya rogues, once'n fer all."


	11. Yuatsu the rumormonger

Saturnalius and Mercury hadn't run this fast since the time they ran from the library during Pifite's second attack. Mercury was certain they'd break a heel, particularly when they came to an abrupt stop at the border of the park.

"I am the Silver Eclipse," the new senshi proclaimed. "Sailor Silver Star!"

Saturnalius and Mercury both stared, wide-eyed and shocked. Neither was certain that they'd heard the stranger correctly.

"Another Eclipse?!" Mercury gasped. Glancing at Saturnalius, she quickly realized the other didn't actually know who this stranger was. Even with the Eclipse regaining their memories, Saturnalius was still the one with the most information. Her memories were clearest. But if she didn't know, who was this senshi?

Mercury's exclamation had brought attention to the both of them. Space Gas frowned, severely irritated. The two master strategists had appeared on the scene. Intel told them that Mercury and Saturnalius were the most dangerous due to their intelligence and battle prowess. Engaging them was surely a death wish. Trouble was, no one knew of their identities. Rumor had it that Saturnalius was rarely seen outside the castle walls without the queen yet here she was. It _was_ possible to draw her out.

Saturnalius gaze briefly met Black Hole's. The two remained silent, neither saying a word until Space Gas finally spoke up. "So yeah. Pencil in a quick exit, kay?"

Still glaring at Saturnalius, Black Hole flicked her wrist, forming a swirling vortex behind them. She and Space Gas leapt backwards into the hole and the two senshi disappeared from sight.

"There really are two," Mercury murmured, mostly to herself.

Saturnalius glanced over to the mysterious Eclipse only to find she'd disappeared as well. "She's gone too." Just who was that girl, claiming the Eclipse name?

"You did see her too, right?" Mercury stared.

"Indeed," Saturnalius nodded. "I think we all need to talk."

...

Rei set tea down on the table in the room within the Shrine where the senshi once often met. Haruka and Michiru were a strange sight at the table. They'd never been the type to sit down and chat about the current events, often preferring to separate themselves from the inner lunar senshi. They had all been absent for the battle against the Shadow Galaxy, so at the advent of the new Silver Millennium, they drew closer to the royal court, becoming active members within their ranks. They were curious about their Eclipse mirrors, surprisingly reaching out to meet them and befriend them.

Hotaru had joined them, leaning up against Sasami as she munched on some sugar cookies. After the encounter at the park, she'd arrived at the Shrine along with the group of girls from the park. They were all a bit shook up, particularly Chika who was on the verge of tears. Hotaru left the group as they went to watch TV in the other room so she could become part of the senshi conversation. She wasn't entirely keen on leaving Chibiusa with that wild Akemi, but she knew they would all be safe in the end. The shrine was a sanctuary, a protected place, after all.

"Am I hearing this right that there's _another_ Eclipse?" Rei nestled down at the end of the table, tucking her feet properly under her. She straightened out a fold of the hakama, careful to not let it get bent out of shape.

"Mm," Michiru nodded, taking the offered teacup and cradling it in her hands. "She called herself 'the Silver Eclipse'."

"Perhaps she's an impostor," Haruka suggested, leaning forward on the table with her elbow. Like Rei and Michiru, Haruka sat in a formal position, tucking her feet underneath her in a proper seiza position.

"I wouldn't quite say that yet," Sasami countered.

"How so?" Ami quickly questioned. "I thought there were only 9 Eclipse senshi originally." Currently there were only 6, as three were casualties in Doxite's ventures. The three had returned to life thanks to Sailor Moon's healing light, but they never regained their galactic crystals. They continued to live as ordinary people.

"There were," Sasami nodded. "8 planetary mirrors and one lunar mirror. But I'm not so sure she's lying quite yet."

Ami offered Sasami a hard stare. "What aren't you telling us?"

Sasami was notorious for not always telling everything at once. She could easily clam up and not speak for days, preferring to adhere to duties than conversations. "Something within me tells me she's telling the truth." She paused. She couldn't quite explain it herself. She looked down for a moment as if trying to remember something.

"I remember a rumor from the original Silver Millennium," she added suddenly. "I cannot tell you when the rumor surfaced as we'd lost track of time millennia ago, but it was highly unusual."

"I never took you as the rumor-monger type," Rei commented into her teacup. "Unless that was Satsu's thing?"

Sasami shook her head. "She wasn't any more fond of them than I. This was all Yuatsu's - Neptunusia's - doing. She had a fondness for gossip. Hard to tell, but Aki is fond of it too."

"I don't think I've ever noticed," Michiru chimed in, still cradling the cup of tea. Of all the Eclipse, Michiru had come to know Akiko the best. The two were strikingly similar in nearly every manner possible. They both had a fondness for water, arts, and traditional cooking. They both loved pretty dresses and makeup. One really was a mirror of the other.

"Aki is a horrible rumormonger," Sasami admitted, outing her twin sister. She glanced at Tsubaki, who continued to be incredibly quiet. Akiko and Tsubaki would gossip for hours, much to Sasami's annoyance. "One of Yuatsu's traits she carried on. The rumor Yuatsu had told Satsu was that there existed another set of guardians, more than just the nine of us. I never thought it possibly true until right now."

"Was there more to this rumor?" Ami asked, setting down the tablet for a moment. Normally, Ami would have nothing to do with rumors but this one was definitely interesting, and it quickly had grabbed her attention.

"Not that I know of," Sasami shook her head, "though given that it's Aki's past self, chances are, she might know something."

"Is Aki-nee coming to visit then?" Hotaru asked, looking up at Sasami.

"She is," Sasami replied. "I've already sent her a message about the subject." She had actually sent it before they sat down at the table. The idea of another Eclipse showing up had reminded her of the rumor. She hadn't talked to Akiko about it before today, but in the text reply, Akiko mentioned recalling the rumor as one that particularly stuck out in her memories of the past.

Practically on cue, a miko approached the paper door. "Forgive the interruption, Rei-sama, but there are two girls here to speak with you. They say it's about an eclipse."

They were clever in their words. It was enough to tell Rei exactly who had come to visit. "Send them in, Ren-san."

The paper door slid open, and Akiko and Makoto stepped in, both carrying some sweets on a plate. It was an attempt to lighten the mood. The two knew little of the attacks, though Akiko knew more mainly through conversations with Tsubaki. She attempted to pry more out of Sasami, though not successfully. She filled Makoto in before they'd left the cafe. The two came alone as Minako was off on a date.

Ami scooted over to give the two room at the table. They sat next to her, placing the treats on the table. The room was beginning to feel how it once was, lunar and eclipse sitting side by side, eating treats and drinking tea as they discussed the current situation. New faces sat at the table, and old ones had returned. Despite the circumstances, it was comforting to see everyone again.

"Sasami-kun tells us that you might know a rumor, Akiko-chan?" Rei offered the two fresh cups of tea.

"Ohoho, right down to business, Rei-shi~" Akiko mused. "Sami is correct. I do, though most of it is simply speculation. Yuatsu had heard multiple rumors of a second guardian senshi, a second Eclipse. They varied on team size and members, though one thing always seemed constant. Unlike us, who guarded the borders of the galaxy, they guarded the heart of the galaxy."

"Sagittarius A*," Sasami noted aloud. "There are currently no known senshi in that district."

"A void left for the Eclipse to fill," Haruka speculated. "Seems fitting, considering the loss of three Eclipse during your battle with the Shadow Galaxy."

"That Silver Star," Michiru added, "she seemed to know something of Space Gas and Black Hole. She called them rogues. We should find her and see if she'll talk to us."

Rei, Makoto, and Ami all looked up at Sasami while Akiko simply tittered into her teacup.

"Hey, you did get me to talk eventually," Sasami countered, frowning at the group.

"It took over a month," Rei countered in return.

"I didn't believe Lunar and Eclipse should ever meet," Sasami shrugged. "That was the law of the past. Intermingling was expressly forbidden. I'm willing to bet this Silver Star is operating under the same law we once did."

_"Please come back! Shouldn't you be resting?"_ The voice came from further down the hall, followed by a flurry of robes and shuffling.

_"I'm done resting, I'd say."_ She flung open the door to where the senshi used to meet. Her suspicions were right. Despite missing the senshi activity for the last week, the attack by someone named 53 Aquarii was enough to convince her that the senshi would return to this room and speak once again. They always did whenever trouble arose.

She looked a bit of a mess. The yukata she'd wrapped herself in wasn't even properly tied, falling off one shoulder. Her hair was down, unbraided and unbrushed. Her forehead was wrapped in bandages, though the bottom few green stitches peeked out from underneath. She held an ice pack to her forehead. "Good everyone's here. We need to talk, I'd say."

…

**Author's notes**

-nee / -姉 (pronounced naay or NAY-ay, not knee. I pronounce it like the second, but I've heard the first.) is an affectionate way to call someone an older sister (shortened from the full word, oneesan お姉さん). Given how close Michiru and Akiko have come, it only seems fitting that Hotaru would see her as an older sister figure. Akiko would no doubt eat it up.

Ren 蓮 means waterlily. I like the way it sounds.


	12. Keys

**12. Keys**

"We need to talk, I'd say." Kasumi stood at the door, leaning against the frame as she held an ice pack to her forehead. She had initially gone in search of Rei and Tsubaki but was surprised that the others were here as well. Something must have happened since she was knocked out cold. "Stop fussing, Ren-chan, you're giving me a headache, I'd say."

"Kasumi-sama! You really should be resting!" the miko objected once more, wrapping an arm around her in an attempt to guide her back to bed. "Please forgive the intrusion, Rei-sama!"

"No, no, Ren-san, it's alright," Rei objected, taking to her feet to offer Kasumi a shoulder to lean on. "She can stay with us for awhile."

Ren paused for a moment then retreated back into the shrine, sliding the door shut as she left.

Kasumi settled down next to Rei at the end of the table. Placing the ice pack on the table, she pulled her tarot deck from her sleeve, randomly pulling cards from the bottom and placing them on top in an effort to shuffle them. "Something called out to me, woke me up. I bet you've felt it lately too, Rei-chan."

Rei nodded. "I have, but my visions keep showing swirling darkness. Yesterday, however, I began to see something. A pink teardrop. I'm not sure what it means yet."

"I'm not sure either," Kasumi shook her head, "but I felt that something had changed too. I haven't tried a reading yet, but I just feel it."

The group looked on curiously as Kasumi set the deck down on the table. Most at the table had heard of her power, only seeing pieces of it in action as she dropped messages in the form of Tarot cards every time Pifite had struck. Rei had seen her abilities both in the past and present, fully aware of her power. The outer lunar senshi sitting at the table were only marginally aware of her abilities.

Carefully, almost cautiously, Kasumi flipped over the first card. "Black hole, just like last time." She flipped two more over. "Nebula. Fuzz." The cards reacted as they had before, the pictures moving as if they were holograms. The black hole swirled. The nebula twinkled with the birth of new stars. And the fuzz floated down like a rain of dandelion fuzz.

Haruka picked up the first card. "Black hole. One of the rogue senshi called herself that."

"The second one called herself 'space gas'," Michiru added.

"A nebula is essentially space gas," Sasami pointed out. "I'm willing to bet these rogues are changing their names from their original star system. If that's the case, 'fuzz' is the third rogue."

"What a strange name," Hotaru mused aloud. "Fuzz. Like kitten fuzz? Or maybe dandelions."

"Perhaps 'fuzz' is simply very fuzzy," Akiko added coyly.

"Someone needs a wax," Michiru snarked.

Rei rolled her eyes at the two. The Neptunes were frighteningly similar at times. "Go on, Kasumi-chan."

Kasumi nodded, rather amused by the two and their snarky remarks, then flipped over the next card. She paused, her smile fading, still holding the card in her hand as she stared at it. "It's changed." The next card had originally been Silver, but this one was different. "It was originally 'silver'." She set the card on the table. The label read 'key,' accompanied by a picture of an old-fashioned key.

Kasumi stared at the card for a moment, then flipped over the next card. And then the next and next and next. Each card had the same picture and label of 'key'.

"What could that mean?" Ami stared at the pile of key cards on the table. Her first thought was Pluto, but the keys looked nothing like the staff she carried.

"Wait," Kasumi pointed with her index finger. She was riding purely on intuition. In her training with Rei and the miko, Kasumi had strengthened her sense of intuition when reading the cards. When she'd first started, she was simply drawn to the cards, claiming the apocalypse was coming and that the world would fall to Chaos. When the world nearly _did_ fall to Chaos, those notions didn't seem to be all that far off.

And since Rei had practically demanded Kasumi train at the shrine, Kasumi began to turn that lure of the cards into a true skill. Kasumi flipped over the next card. For the first time since she'd sat down, the card actually belonged to the tarot deck. "Nine of swords. It's the end of the world."

Rei punched Kasumi in the shoulder. "Don't joke about things like that!"

Kasumi rubbed her shoulder gingerly, shooting Rei a rather pathetic look. She could feign that it hurt, but in truth, the pain in her forehead made everything else feel numb. "Sorry, sorry sorry. the nine of swords isn't a card you ever want to see." She couldn't resist the opportunity for some apocalyptic talk. The card was pretty dismal to begin with. "This next card should tell us what it means, I'd say."

She shot Rei another pathetic look before drawing the next card, setting it on the table with a small sigh of relief. While she often spoke of the apocalypse, she never actually wanted to _see_ the apocalypse. They'd come close enough to that when Pifite began blowing up the town.

"Chariot," Kasumi explained. "When following the nine of swords, this card lightens the shadows of the card and offers some hope for the future."

"So we need to stop these rogues from finding some sort of key," Ami reasoned, taking a photograph of the cards with her tablet for future reference.

"Pluto?" Haruka thought aloud.

"That did cross my mind," Ami nodded. "The keys, they look rather old fashioned, nothing like the one Pluto carries."

"Perhaps the keys are metaphorical," Shana pointed out. She spent much of her time writing symbolism and metaphors within the pages of her book. "Keys to the future or keys to the palace even."

"She has a point," Sasami agreed.

"Wait, there's more," Kasumi added, placing her hand on her deck. "Last week when I read the fortune in front of the fire, there were three extra cards, all blank. With the chariot and nine of swords now here, I think I know what they mean." She flipped over three more cards, and sure enough, silver, air, and silence all appeared. They remained blank, only their labels giving them any distinction from the rest of the deck. "These three, whatever they are, are going to give us that margin of hope we need to stop these first three."

"Silver," Ami read the card aloud. "Could that be the Silver Eclipse, Sailor Shooting Star?"

"These other Eclipse," Sasami added, staring at the three cards laid out at the end of the line of cards. "If they're the keys to give us hope, we need to find them."


	13. The flower and fashion senshi

"I never thought they'd let you come back to school ever again, Chibiusa-chan! Hotaru-chan!" Momoko greeted the two friends as they entered the school's courtyard. "After what happened yesterday and all." The encounter in the park with the two rogue senshi had left everyone attending with a sour taste in their mouths. Momoko had reasoned the King and Queen would never let Chibiusa outside the castle walls until the rogues had been caught. She was relieved to see this wasn't the case.

"I promised to keep Chibiusa-chan safe," Hotaru replied, standing as tall as she could. Despite being young, she still was a senshi. She could guard her best friend from some rogue senshi if the situation came to it. The conversation over the table at Rei's Shrine lay fresh in her mind. Those senshi were dangerous and for some reason they were after her. She couldn't let them go after Small Lady too.

"We'll help you protect Chibiusa-chan," Momoko exclaimed excitedly. "Won't we, Kyuusuke?"

"Do I really have to do this?" Kyuusuke frowned, slinking around the corner. Despite the warmer spring weather, the two were wearing long coats.

"Yes, you dummy!" Momoko shot back, lightly punching him in the shoulder. "Akemi-chan would've been all over this one if she went to our school!" She unbuttoned the coat with one hand, pulling it off and dramatically tossing it to the side. Underneath she wore a custom sailor outfit, pink collared with two white stripes and a matching pleated skirt. The front bow was grass green, a pink peach blossom brooch in the center. The back bow also was pink with two petal-like ends to the tie. She had pink ballet flats with white kneesocks and short white gloves with a pink band around the wrist.

"I am Sailor Peach Blossom, protector of Chibiusa-chan and Hotaru-chan!" Momoko offered a Sailor Moon-like pose, crossing her arms, right over left, pointing victoriously as if she were about to give a grandiose speech of justice.

Momo paused, glancing over at Kyuusuke, who simply had shoved his hands into his pockets. "Don't leave me hanging, Kyuusuke!"

"Do I have to?" he repeated.

"Yes!" Momoko replied forcefully. "Or I'll right wrongs and triumph over your butt!" She was rather surprised at how reluctant he was, given his fanaticism over Sailor V.

"Fine! Fine!" he frowned at her, sticking out his tongue. He straightened up, standing tall and proud as he pulled at the jacket, tossing it aside but not quite as gracefully as Momoko had. He had on a red collared sailor shirt with a blue front bow, accented by a large red rose. His gloves matched, short with a red band around the wrist. He wore matching red pants and red Mary Janes, probably borrowed from Momoko's closet. "And I'm Sailor Brose! The awesomest senshi!"

"Brose?!" Momoko shot him a bit of a scowl. "I thought we decided on Rose! Then we're the flower senshi!"

"Rose is too girly," Kyuusuke shot back, dismissing the idea. "Brose is much more awesome. Bro and rose combined. And those other two don't want to name themselves flowers either!"

"O-others?" Hotaru stared at the pair, actually rather mortified. While she appreciated the sentiment, only slightly, it could put them in danger.

"Mhm," Momoko nodded. "Naruru-chan and Ruruna-chan want to be senshi too."

"Sailors Guccicci and Channel," Hotaru frowned. She remembered them pulling this stunt in the past in an effort to save a pawn shop. Logically they named themselves after their favorite brands and wore close to nothing. Why did they have to join in this too?

"Bingo," Momoko nodded again. "They're the fashion senshi! We'll meet up with them after school and all go to the Girls' Day ceremony! I hear the beautiful high priestess Hino Rei-sama is doing the ceremony!"

...

Naruru and Ruruna had joined the flower senshi, Hotaru, and Chibiusa after school wearing little more than colorful bikinis with mini skirts and a sailor collar. Guccicci wore yellow with black accents while Channel wore pink. Both had added cute little wings to their costume, resembling small versions of Eternal Sailor Moon's wings.

Hotaru was highly displeased with the two and how little they wore. Even the Sailor Starlights had worn more than this. Small Lady was amused by their outfits, finally getting to see their outfits in person. She'd only seen drawings of them from the picture diaries she kept. Hotaru had held on to the picture diaries, offering them to Small Lady once she learned of her alternate life.

Chika had joined the group at school. Chibiusa invited her to come along, not wishing to see her alone. The appearance of strange senshi had thrown Chika off, but Hotaru reassured her they were just cosplaying.

The group arrived at the park. A crowd had already gathered along the river. As tradition, the dolls were sent floating down the river to send off any bad spirits. Many of the spectators had chosen light kimono or yukata to celebrate the day.

Momoko scanned the crowd. "I'm surprised that Akemi-chan isn't here yet." She was incredibly easy to pick out of a crowd and usually found the group before they could find her.

Small Lady scanned the crowd, looking for familiar faces. A few from their class had arrived with older siblings and parents. Small Lady frowned. She knew that she'd never quite have what they had. Her parents were always busy with formalities and royal things. She knew it was important, but at the same time, she wished they could spend time with her. She didn't have the opportunity of traveling to the past, living with Usagi and Mamoru, and becoming a senshi. Instead she lived vicariously through the stories she heard.

"Oh what beautiful senshi do we have here~ ?"

"Tsubaki-chan!" Small Lady exclaimed, shaking from her thoughts as she leapt into her arms.

"Akemi-chan isn't with you?" Momoko asked, bounding up to meet Tsubaki with the rest of the group. She'd met Tsubaki only a few times and quickly saw where Akemi got her flamboyant personality.

Tsubaki shook her head. "My beautiful Ake-chan will be performing ceremonies with Rei-chan~ "

Chika tilted her head at the statement. "The priestess?"

"Oh right!" Momoko turned, hitting her fist into her palm as if she'd made some grand realization. "You don't know, do you? Akemi-chan is a miko in training! She's been training under the high priestess as long as we've known her."

"Gee," Chika marveled, "she must be pretty powerful then."

The musicians began to play somewhere on the other side of the river, plucking koto strings and strumming shamisen in traditional rhythms.

"They're about to start!" Tsubaki exclaimed excitedly. "We should find the most glorious of views~ " She practically skipped in her yukata, decorated with a heart embroidered obi. But she had it tight much too properly and tightly to be skipping.

She and the kids wiggled near the front to get the vest view. As they settled down at the waterfront, the formal entourage arrived. Several miko accompanied Rei, while Akemi served as her assistant, taking Kasumi's usual place. One by one, Akemi handed Rei the dolls. Half of them were broken from the attack the day before, crushed under the feet of the two rogue senshi. All of Akiko and Michiru's hard work broken in an instant.

Yet the ceremony would go on. Rei wasn't about to have any bad luck let loose by failing to perform the ceremony. The discussion from the day before was still laying heavily on her mind. And while it appeared so, she hadn't come alone. With Tsubaki, several other senshi, all in civilian form, had gathered within the crowd.

"Ya aren't really dressed for the occasion, yanno?" Emi frowned, looking her friend over. While Emi had chosen a light blue yukata with a blue obi, perfect for the occasion, Hitomi had not, wearing a long skirt with a peasant top.

"I knew naught the proper attire," Hitomi protested, smoothing out her skirt. "Nor have I ever attended such a ceremony. 'tis not one celebrated whence I came."

"Even Hamari got this one right," Emi thumbed at their redheaded friend. It certainly wasn't a traditional kimono by any means, showing an embroidered pattern of a large goldfish up the side, but it was at least a kimono.

"We have come to hither side of the city for business, naught for pleasure," Hitomi pointed out, shaking her finger matter-of-factly at Emi. "You indulgest thyself in such pleasure since we hath arrived."

"You're one t' speak, yanno," Emi countered coyly. "I know 'bout that stash'a sweets ya got."

"I bite my thumb at thee!" Hitomi quickly shot back. "You shall be keeping thy business to thineself."

Hamari shook her head. What had she gotten herself into? She turned back to the ceremony, watching Rei send off the final doll with nearly silent words of prayer.

…**.**

**Author's notes:**

The young senshi team is based off a doodle I had created for a contest over on deviantArt, featuring Momoko, Kyuusuke, and Lyrica Hubert dressed up as sailor senshi.

The pun is that Momoko's name means peach girl. So naturally she'd choose Sailor Peach Blossom. And at the same time as Girls' Day celebration, at least traditionally, was the peach blossom viewing festival.

Guccicci and Channel are based of Chibiusa's final Picture Diary. While the senshi do not actually name themselves, these are the fan-names which seem far too fitting for these two.

Disclaimer: I have no idea if this is how a modern Girls' Day ceremony actually works. Historically, this is somewhat how it works, with a bit of artistic license.


	14. Pillars

**14. Pillars**

Saturnalius watched from a distance as Serenity rose her staff to the sky. The staff was the one she had used as Trinity Sailor Moon, long and silver with a golden sun at the head eclipsed by white wings and pearls. As she rose it, she offered words of comfort and peace to the audience, officially drawing Girls' Day to a close.

Serenity had Sailor Sun by her side, while Endymion, though he stood behind her, had his entourage, the four generals. Since the battle with the Dark Kingdom last millennium, Mamoru had kept the four stones with him at all times. He called upon his past guardians for advice but not once had they been able to retain a mortal form, always returning to stone. It was a sad existence, truly. Sailor Moon always had her senshi with her, yet Tuxedo Kamen never had his generals by his side.

At advent of Crystal Tokyo, the burst of white moonlight courtesy of the silver crystal had changed things for the better. The crystal heard their wishes, and the generals regained their mortal human forms. They returned to Endymion's side at the advent of Crystal Tokyo as his personal guard. Like the senshi, the generals carried on a civilian life outside the palace with their own names and own paths at the request of Endymion. This time, they swore, they wouldn't fall to the lure of darkness. They would stay by their king's side for eternity.

The royal entourage retreated into the confines of the castle, and the crowd returned home with new hope and energy. Sun glanced at Saturnalius as she passed, continuing on with Serenity to the far reaches of the castle.

Saturnalius continued to stand in the grand hallway lined with crystal walls and windows with beautiful views of the city sparkling in the sunset. She folded her arms, her mind completely preoccupied with the events of the past week. She understood the look Sun had given her. They could only cover for Naru's absence for so long before Serenity would realize something was amiss. Serenity was still Usagi underneath, but she still had that knack of sensing something was wrong. Naru was her best friend. Her absence was highly unusual.

For the past few days, Serenity seemed preoccupied with something, though she wouldn't speak of it. Saturnalius idly wondered if she knew already and simply hadn't said anything. She had a habit of not wishing for anyone to worry about her yet still wearing her heart on her elegant sleeve.

"I've known you long enough to know _something_ is going on. I can see it in your face."

Saturnalius looked up, looking over her new company. Kunzite had left the entourage, wearing the standard uniform of Endymion's guard. His jacket was white with deep blue accents, three gold pipes running up the center to meet a mandarin collar. He had two blue stripes around his wrists, indicating his rank. Three belts wrapped around his waist, crossing over one another. One belt sat low on his waist, holding his long broadsword in its sheath. He wore silver greaves over his gray pants. His long dark gray cape with blue lining inside flowed as he approached Saturnalius.

"Don't you have a date with the Venusian or something, _Kun-kun_?" she frowned at him.

"It's Saito Kun, and no," he shot back quickly. It wasn't his original name, not that he could actually remember what it was in the past. It was simply Kunzite rearranged and misspelled slightly. "She's off on a 'date' with some girl from Kansai. Something about shiny boys."

She always had a way of picking on his name. It was a rare thing for her, as Saturnalius rarely used personal names or names at all, generally leaning towards titles or nicknames. Being the leader of the Shitennou, Endymion's personal guard, Kunzite spent a large amount of time within the Crystal Palace walls despite Endymion urging him to get out and live a little. Only in the last century or so had he created the identity Saito Kun.

With all the time within the walls, he'd come to know Saturnalius, the stable pillar of Serenity's royal guard and commander of the Crystal Guardians. She was always there, watching over everyone and ensuring their safety. It seemed like a rather lonely existence, but it was one she apparently chose. At some point, Kunzite and Saturnalius began talking. They shared a lot in common, both living out the desire of a past life and a new desire in the present. She shared with him the origins of the Eclipse, and he shared the tales of the Silver Millennium and ultimately his fate with her in return. He made her promise that if he fell to the lure of darkness once again, she'd be the one to end his life.

And in the last week, Kunzite had noticed something amiss, particularly when she'd left the castle. "But enough of that. I do know something's wrong. I heard about the park incident."

Saturnalius paused. Some things were difficult to keep hushed in such a tightly knit system. While much of the security business filtered through Saturnalius, the bulk majority of her work involved managing the Crystal Guardian network, the expansive force of senshi living throughout the galaxy. Other security information filtered through Sun and Kunzite alike. While Saturnalius had hushed the attack in the park within the network, it had still reached Sun. Ultimately Kunzite would've heard the information as well. "So you heard of that."

Sun had approached Saturnalius earlier that morning, and the purple senshi filled her completely in. It was best she knew. If something were to happen, Sun might well be Serenity's last line of defense. The two had grown incredibly close after the final battle with the Shadow Galaxy, offering everything they had to destroy Pifite. Saturnalius didn't want to see anything happen to Sun, but she knew, like herself, that Sun would give her life to protect the queen.

The next course of action didn't require much thought. "Come," she offered. "I'll tell you everything."

...

"These earth-based senshi are more resilient than I thought, yanno?" Black Hole rubbed the blood off her baseball bat with a damp cloth. While it was certainly the blood was a nice touch, it wasn't exactly her style. Something inside her told her that it needed to go. She tossed the bloody rag aside, letting it fall somewhere beyond the expanse of light in the room. She sat on a wooden chest at the edge of a bed in a dark room, only lit by a single candle. The walls glistened faintly in the candlelight.

"So yeah," Space Gas frowned, "who was that star eclipse or whatever? I hadn't heard about her, kay?" She flopped down next to Black Hole, flipping through a small book of information about the known earth-based guardians, the lunar senshi and the eclipse. The page with Naru's picture on it was X-ed out with a wide-tipped permanent marker, as was a picture of Kasumi in miko robes. "Maybe she's one of those 'elusive' guardians. I'll have to pencil in a head bashing into my schedule."

"What's with you'n schedules?!" Black Hole frowned sharply at her accomplice.

"So yeah, I like schedules," Space Gas shot back, closing the little book in her hands. "Kay?"

"Enough you two!" A third senshi entered the room, nearly slamming the door behind her. She was short, appearing to be around 13 or 14. Her purple hair was pulled up into ponytails then looped around, tied at the bottom with green bands and dandelion fuzz. Her outfit was two pieces with two pink bands on the top of the shirt, crisscrossing in the back. Her collar was aqua with a single pink stripe to match her choker. Around her neck she also wore a pink teardrop-shaped gem. Her front bow was yellow with a fuzzy light blue brooch. Her sleeves, earrings, and tiara gem were all similarly fuzzy. Her gloves reached her elbows, capped with two thick pink bands. Her skirt had a pink waistband with a tricolored skirt, transitioning from yellow to pink to aqua. Her ballet flats were a matching aqua with fuzz anklets.

"Aldebaran!" Space Gas and Black Hole exclaimed together.

"I told you," she fussed in return, "It's _Chibi Fuzz_ now. I've had enough of Aldebaran and their peaceful nonsense. Now you both need to concentrate! We have to find that Key. It's the only way to reach the Core and correct everything that's wrong with this era. Living this long and this peacefully is so annoying!"

"So yeah," Space Gas frowned. "We don't even know what it looks like."

Chibi Fuzz sighed, frustrated. "Look, just keep taking out the targets. The fewer of them, the better chance we have of finding the Key and reaching the Door."

Space Gas glanced at Black Hole and shrugged. Chibi Fuzz always seemed to talk in riddles that neither understood.

"But what 'bout that Sailor Star Silver or whatever?" Black Hole pointed out. "She's not on the list. I've never even _heard_'a her before."

For once, Black Hole did have a point, as much as Chibi Fuzz didn't want to admit it. That Silver Star was a new problem. "She must be part of what's preventing us from reaching the Core." So they did exist, a senshi team purely dedicated to guarding the Core itself. Her arrival could present a problem, but it could present an opportunity. Slay the Core guardians and the Core was vulnerable. If they couldn't find the Door and the Key, it was a perfectly reasonable alternative.

"We'll deal with her in time, but for now, I need you to finish your task I've given you." Chibi Fuzz reached forward. The pink teardrop gem around her neck began glowing, which caused the deep maroon gem around Black Hole's neck to glow in return.

"There," Chibi Fuzz withdrew her hand and both gems ceased glowing. "Now go play with your new power. Take out the next target."

…

**Author's notes**

The shitennou's new outfits are based on a drawing in the materials collection, which was seen in the manga only briefly.

Note that the pun on Kunzite's name comes from various Sera Myu. In katakana, Kunzite's name is Kunzaito. Rearranged it is Zaito Kun, but since that sounds funny, it's changed to Saito, which is a real name. In western order, his name is Kun Saito. So his first name is Kun, something even La Reconquista plays on. Sasami is mocking him.

Note that the reference to Saturnalius being a "stable pillar" is a play on her past life's name, Satsu, which means "central pillar in a temple". The chapter is named after this idea and that Kunzite also serves as a pillar, supporting Endymion and leading the Shitennou.


	15. The lure of darkness

"Rogues? Are you sure?"

"Indeed," Saturnalius nodded. It was the first time she'd seen Kunzite shocked. She had always figured him to be as immovable as she. "I saw them myself at the assault on the park." She had brought Kunzite to her office so they could speak without others nosing into their conversations. She'd detailed information from the past week to him. He'd done nothing but stare since she started speaking.

"Must the past always repeat itself?" Kunzite knit his hands, leaning on them slightly as he rested his elbows on the arms of his chair.

"I've asked myself that same question many times," Saturnalius admitted. "During the battle with the Shadow Galaxy, I asked myself that every day. Funny thing about the past though. It's still the past. We're both here _despite_ the past." They both owed their lives to Sailor Moon and the power she held within her. Without her, they would have continued to dwell within the darkness.

He couldn't deny she had a point. It was the third time he'd been reborn and the first time he was absolutely determined not to fall to the grip of Chaos. Beryl didn't exist anymore; she was no longer there to lure him away from his master. She'd been finally destroyed. Perhaps that was enough to break the cycle of rebirth and the fall to darkness.

But enough of the past. "Then we must protect the present. Do we know much of anything about these rogues, why they turned?"

Saturnalius could read the concern knit into his brow, guessing possible thoughts going through his mind. "Tell me something. In the past, when you were lured to darkness, how did it happen? Did your personality change? Was it 'highly unusual'?"

While the two spoke frequently about the past, Kunzite hadn't ever talked about _how_ it happened. He never had a need to, nor had he ever _wanted_ to. Yet the information he held within the memories of the past could actually be helpful. "Lies," he replied. "False promises. The first time, the darkness convinced us that the Moon Kingdom was spying on us, oppressing us even. It prayed on uncertainties and rumors of unknown events of planets falling on the outer rim."

"The fall of the Eclipse," Saturnalius thought aloud.

"Yes," he nodded. "I didn't realize what it was at the time, but since we've spoken, it all makes sense. That witch Beryl made us believe that the Moon's influence spanning the entire galaxy was a means to spy on everyone, especially the Earth. She prayed on our desires to protect our Master Endymion."

"To think there were so many connections between us all in the past." To think the Eclipse had such an impact, both good and bad. Saturnalius spent much of her time living the past before Sailor Moon brought everyone into the light. She dwelt on an unspoken loneliness living inside her heart, something inherited from Satsu, her past self. It was a feeling even Satsu's best friends, Yuatsu of Neptunusia and Nikkou of PlanetSun didn't even know. Satsu had felt the Eclipse senshi had been forgotten, left along the outer rim to live out a solitary, lonely existence for the rest of eternity.

But Satsu was wrong. While people didn't know who they were, they knew something was out there, something watching over everyone from the far edges of the galaxy.

"I now know that force we believed so insidious was actually there to defend the galaxy," Kunzite added.

"Have you told the other three?" Saturnalius asked curiously, deviating away from the subject for a moment.

Kunzite nodded. "I did. It made sense to them too, Zoisite in particular. He was the last to fall to that witch's influence, probably blinded by his affection for Mercury. He'd said he even planned to warn her right when we'd visited with Master Endymion for the grand ball and celebration on the Moon, but Beryl got to him first."

That fateful night at the ball, Endymion had come to visit Serenity in the Moon Kingdom and confess his love to her. He had every plan to marry her that day. The generals had come with him, all to dance with the senshi. But it all was a distraction, giving Beryl the chance to put her plan into action. While Endymion was away, she, using the power of Chaos via Metallia, took over the Earth's people, sending them to the Moon Kingdom for a full-scale invasion. The plan was incredibly effective. The Shitennou joined Beryl when she'd arrived, turning traitor against their own prince and the senshi. The event brought down both kingdoms and effectively ended Silver Millennium.

"Thus ending the Silver Millennium," Saturnalius added. "Perhaps aptly timed, as the Shadow Galaxy had managed to touch the Earth as well." She was reminded of the legends of the furious earth goddess. Pifite had managed to touch the earth, spreading her black butterflies of death about the place during a solar eclipse.

At least some good came of their actions, though if the Shitennou had not been lured in by darkness, they would have fought off the Shadow Galaxy, defending the planet themselves. "Thus allowing us to be reborn and repeat the past. We were once again lured with false promises. That witch claimed she would give us power to awaken our Master Endymion. She wasn't necessarily wrong, but she wasn't right either." They found Endymion, but they weren't there to serve him. They were there to once again fight against the silver moon and its reborn senshi.

"The darkness can be deceptive like that." Saturnalius thought of the Shadow Galaxy's generals, idly wondering if they'd fallen to the same fate as the Shitennou or were simply that way the entire time.

"As for your personality question, it's hard to say," Kunzite added. "Master Endymion once said we'd acted strangely, but otherwise, I couldn't say. Hard to tell when you're the one experiencing it."

"Indeed." Saturnalius knit her hands together thoughtfully, reviewing all the information now before her. "While I'm quite _positive_ Beryl isn't involved in this, I can't quite rule out the possibility that something similar may have happened to our rogues. 53 Aquarii specifically stated that Beta's behavior suddenly shifted out of character. Then she shows up and attacks the head miko. I don't think you have to worry about such a lure this time around, but I _will_ need your help with this."

"Do you have a plan of action yet?" Kunzite shifted uncomfortably in his chair. It wasn't the situation which caused him to shift, but the idea that another lure of darkness was out there, tempting people into the same misery he once experienced. Perhaps Saturnalius was correct, that the past didn't have to repeat itself. They both knew that to be true, as their presence here in Crystal Tokyo was proof enough. Yet still within his mind lingered the fear that the break in the repeating loop was only temporary.

"None yet," Saturnalius admitted, sounding a bit displeased with the lack of a plan. "This new Eclipse, these rogue senshi, the possibility of another war. It all has me worried but I don't have a clue how to address this. I hate doing it, but we may need to pull more people into this mess. I fear we may need to take this to the top."

"I wouldn't go that far quite yet," Kunzite interjected quickly. He, like Saturnalius, preferred to keep things as simple as possible. The situation was already complicated enough as it were. And, also like Saturnalius, he preferred to handle situations with his own hands instead of involving the whole world. "Just how many people are involved so far?"

"Much of the senshi," Saturnalius replied. "Very few are unaware of this situation, namely the Time Guardian and the queen."

Kunzite was rather surprised by the numbers. "That many already?"

"Not by choice," Saturnalius quickly added. "Some knew it even before I did."

"They've been around you too long," Kunzite added snidely.

"Not long enough," Saturnalius snarked in return. "They came to me directly after the first attack. I would've waited at least a month."

Kunzite laughed. He knew it to be true. It took him years before he could get her to speak of anything but the daily routines and guard schedules.

"Jesting aside," Saturnalius added, stifling a laugh "If we're going to be successful in finding the rogues and this new Eclipse, I think we may need to get our hands dirty a bit. It's time to send in some guardians."

…

**Author's musings**

Saturnalius and Kunzite ended up being remarkably similar. The backstory Kunzite describes is pulled from various points in the manga along with the retellings in Sera Myu. Neither goes into much detail about how it happened, so I decided to fill in the rest.

And then weave SMSE into the mix. The entirety of SMSE, I wasn't truly able to tell how the Shadow Galaxy had returned, but now I can! The fall of the Moon Kingdom had a domino effect on everything around it and while the Shadow Galaxy had reached earth, they were stopped pretty early, thanks to the second battle going on.

Zoisite's involvement in the war between Earth and the Moon isn't based on the manga but instead on Sera Myu, _La Reconquista._ The majority of the ball idea comes from _La Reconquista_ but also from _Dark Kingdom Gaiden, _which tells a remarkably similar back story but with much bigger and more ridiculous costumes.


	16. Sensei

He stood awkwardly in the hallway of Crystal Juuban Municipal Elementary. He wasn't entirely sure how he'd gotten roped into this, but after hearing the briefing on why such an act could be necessary, he didn't particularly object to the idea. That was _how_ he'd gotten there, but he still wasn't sure _why_ he was the one who had to be _here_.

It was far too late to object. So there he was, standing in the hallway in his civilian form with his civilian name, carrying a stack of books. His blond slightly curly hair contrasted his dark gray suit with a red dress shirt underneath. It was buttoned all the way to the top but he didn't wear a tie. He couldn't get the thing to sit right. He just felt awkward.

He pushed his glasses up his nose. Those were fake. He didn't need them to see, but for some reason, he always found a need to wear them in civilian form. Perhaps it was a way to emulate his master. After all, Master Endymion did wear glasses on occasion.

"Are ya new, too?"

Jadeite turned to find a girl who looked like she belonged in high school standing behind him. Her outfit was casual, consisting of a black knee-length pencil skirt that frilled out at the bottom and a silver sleeveless shirt. Her hair was a brilliant purple, nearly reaching her waist with the top half pulled back into a tight braid.

"I am," he nodded. "And I think I'm lost."

"No worries, blondie!" she patted him on the back heartily, causing him to nearly lose his balance. "I gotcher back! I'm headin' over to the office right now. I'll take ya there."

He smiled. She seemed nice, but there was something about her that felt different. Perhaps he was just on edge. It was still in his mind, the idea of the darkness stirring about again. Kunzite and Saturnalius's briefings did leave him with a bit of a sour taste in his mouth. Like Kunzite, Jadeite clearly remembered the darkness's lure, and it bothered him that he fell to it. Twice. He'd be a fool to let it happen a third time.

"The name's Shimabukuro Emi," she introduced herself with a large grin. "I'll be teachin' art class."

"Itou Judai," he offered with a slight bow. It wasn't a particularly traditional Japanese bow but instead a bow with a bit of a strange, somewhat archaic flair. He held a hand to his heart as he slightly inclined his upper body, head slightly bowed forward, as he carefully balanced the books in the other.

"Ya don't gotta be so formal 'n all, blondie!" Emi patted him heartily on the back once again. "We'll be buddies, you 'n me. You'll see."

...

"Uwa, that art teacher was really pretty!" Momoko exclaimed, leaning back in her chair. She'd returned to wearing her sailor outfit from the week before. She'd debuted Sailor Peach Blossom as her statement she'd protect Small Lady and Hotaru, even though she was powerless. In truth, underneath all the senshi glitz and glamour, she was frightened herself. Those two reckless senshi stepped all over the Girls' Day festival display, threatening Hotaru and anyone who got in their way. If that strange senshi hadn't stepped in, they'd probably all be in the hospital right now.

"She was really strange," Hotaru frowned. Shimabukuro-sensei really had a poor way of speaking. "She needed to work on her grammar and not be so informal."

"You're always so persistent with your formality thing," Momoko frowned at Hotaru. "Geez. What do you think, Chibiusa-chan?"

The duo turned to find Small Lady pouring over a sketchpad. She had begun to sketch a comic. It was rough and unfinished and wordless. In the center of the first frame she stood with Hotaru at her side. The background was the park where the Girls' Day festival was set up. The second frame, Sailor Peach Blossom makes the scene in a very heroic way, reminiscent of a sailor senshi introduction speech. The third frame had Sailor Peach Blossom shouting at a cloaked Kyuusuke.

"Uwa, that's amazing, Chibiusa-chan!" Momoko exclaimed, thoroughly distracted from the previous subject. She practically drooled over the page as she watched Small Lady start the sketch of the fourth frame.

"I want to leave a picture diary for myself," Small Lady admitted, "like I did before. Well my alternate self did. That way no matter how many times things change, I'll never forget my friends."

"Chibiusa-chan..." Momoko stared at her. It was such a deep comment, and she hadn't expected it. Sure she and Hotaru remembered her from before, but it wasn't the same. Something had changed or perhaps it just hadn't happened yet. But Small Lady was different. She didn't remember anything and had to rely on everyone else to fill her in. It must have been hard.

Momoko wrapped her arms around her friend, drawing her into a hug. "No matter what, we'll always remind you. You'll always be our best friend, past, present, or future."

Hotaru scooted in closer in her chair. "That's right." She offered her pink-haired friend a surprisingly bright smile.

The classroom door slid open. Jadeite entered, pushing his glasses up his nose seemingly habitually, closing the door behind him. He scanned the room for a moment as he approached the podium at the center of the chalkboard. He easily picked out Momoko and Hotaru, though picking out Small Lady was a bit more difficult given the magic which disguised her identity. He reasoned she was the one sitting between Momoko and Hotaru.

He still found it odd to be working alongside the senshi after attempting to fight them for so long. More than pleased to finally be on the same side, he found it interesting how the senshi could use magic to look completely different, that they'd been living about the world for so long and he never knew it at the time. In a way, he used the same magic, though in reverse. His form as one of Endymion's guardians was his natural form, but to walk among people, he used a form of magic to look different.

Like Serenity's guardians, Endymion's guardians were encouraged to live separate lives outside the court. Unlike Nephrite and Zoisite, who fully enjoyed their outside lives, Jadeite never really adjusted to it. He always felt awkward, even though he'd made quite a life for himself as a geologist and crystalologist. It just never felt like he'd accomplished enough with his new life.

He set the books down on the podium. His purpose here wasn't necessarily as a geologist for an earth science class. It was to keep an eye out for those rogue senshi he'd heard about and to guard the princess and her friends.

"Afternoon," he greeted the class. "I'm Itou Judai. I'll be subbing your earth science class while your regular teacher is out." He scribbled his name in kanji, 伊藤十代, out on the board.

He began rambling on about whatever subject was next in the study guide, not that Chika was paying attention. She stared at the man over her book, watching him carefully, scrutinizing him. There was something not normal about this person, perhaps even something familiar. And even stranger, he smelled of magic. He was even more interesting than Hotaru and Chibiusa who sat nearby.

…

**Author's notes**

Itou 伊藤 Judai 十代. It's mostly for sound, like Kunzite's name. In western order, his name reads Judai Itou (joo-dye ee-_toe_). Close enough to Jadeite to be believable. I wanted his name to be Jade, but I couldn't quite get it to sound right. The Jay sound just isn't common enough in names for me to find something believable.

As for the Endymion and glasses thing. In the manga, Mamoru did wear glasses on occasion (his glasses are cute). For Jadeite, I see him as the overachiever type. He wants to impress his master and prove that he's worthy of being brought back. He doesn't want to be seen as a failure, so he over-tries. He tries to please Endymion and Kunzite and he tries to emulate his master in order to be more like him. And that's how he ended up here.

Also it is important to note, unlike us western people, Japanese classrooms are different. Instead of students traveling from classroom to classroom, the teachers do.


	17. Indiscretion

She watched him as he'd excited the building. Itou Judai, better known as Jadeite, had stayed late that afternoon. Two days in and substitute teaching was already wearing him thin. He could pour over books and records and geological graphs all day, but he couldn't handle a classroom full of kids. There was just something about that last class, the one the princess was in, which simply wore him out.

Sailor Chibi Fuzz watched him shuffle the books and folders tucked under his arm then proceed to push his glasses up his nose. She knelt on the roof of the building, her long purple hair coiling slightly on the ground. The young senshi was rather certain this Judai had something to hide. She didn't reason him to be a senshi, but definitely someone related to the royal court, and they all had to be eliminated to create the chaos she so desired.

Standing up, she pressed one foot against the edge of the building. Bending her knees, she sprang off the roof in a graceful forward flip, landing gracefully and silently on the pavement behind him. She pulled a dandelion from the ground as she stood up. "What an _interesting_ person you are, Itou Judai."

Jadeite whipped around, nearly dropping his books. He didn't expect to see a senshi standing behind him. She was short, appearing to be around 13. He didn't recognize her, but he didn't know too many senshi outside of Serenity's own guardians and a rather colorful man calling himself Sailor 53 Aquarii. She didn't fit the description of any of the rogues either, but his own intuition told him that this girl meant trouble. "Who are you?"

"The question is," the senshi countered, "who are _you_? Is that even your real face? You smell of shadows and magic. Are you hiding from something or some_one_?"

He didn't honor her with a reply, instead scrutinizing her from behind his glasses. Given previous reports, he had to be prepared for an attack.

"Heh," Chibi Fuzz laughed. "You know, I can fix that problem for you. Come. Join me, and all your problem with this gods forsaken place will be over." She mercilessly pulled a few petals from the dandelion's head.

Jadeite scowled at her. He'd worked so hard to stay away from trouble and now it was right here, trying to bring him back in. "I don't think so."

"Oh come now, _Judai_," she taunted him, pulling more petals off the flower, "you come join us or even just give us the Key, and I won't pull you apart like this flower, okay?" she mercilessly ripped the head from the stem then dropped it on the ground, stepping on it then twisting her foot on it to leave a golden smear on the pavement.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jadeite observed her rather aggressive threat carefully. He wasn't entirely sure what her next move was, but she certainly seemed intent on finding whatever this key thing was. Kunzite had mentioned a key in his briefing, but no one really seemed to know what it really was.

The senshi sighed. "Alright then." Still holding the stem of the dandelion, she raised her hand up to the sky, placing the other on her nose. "Dandelion fuzz explosion!" The ground seemed to erupt around them, spawning hundreds of white dandelion seeds which floated in the air, carried by an invisible wind. They floated towards Jadeite.

Jadeite braced for battle. The word _explosion_ attached to that command had him concerned. He tossed the books and folders aside. Test papers were of little concern to him right now. Those dandelions, while they hardly looked menacing, they had to go, even at the expense of his civilian identity. He drew his right hand across his chest, palm out, silently dispersing the attack. The dandelions fell to the ground, lifeless.

"Che," Chibi Fuzz scoffed. "Enough play. Black Hole, _Itou Judai_ is your new target! Make sure he never walks again."

A black and maroon vortex appeared behind the senshi. Sailor Black Hole emerged on command, allowing Chibi Fuzz to flee through the vortex and leave the other in her place. She scrutinized the man.

She summoned her bat to her hand, smacking it into her open hand threateningly. "Let's make this quick, yeah?"

Jadeite narrowed his eyes at her. He wasn't about to become Victim #3. He could still use his magic, as it wasn't linked to a transformation. But in order to properly fight, he'd have to drop the magic he used to disguise himself and divert that power to a battle. He remained in his stance, right arm across his body. Last thing he wanted was for the enemy to know his identity.

Black Hole observed his stance. If Chibi Fuzz had called her in, this blond guy could potentially be trouble. He didn't look threatening nor did he particularly look like a senshi. She could only reason he was another member of the royal court, but that still didn't mean he couldn't fight. She knew senshi could have power in civilian form, so this guy probably had some too.

He held true to his stance, not making an aggressive move just yet. He knew nothing of her power or potential, just that she fit the description of one of the rogue senshi.

Black Hole crossed her bat-wielding arm across her body then traced a large circle up over her head and out to the opposite side. As she moved, darkness gathered at her hand and bat, swirling like the vortex of a black hole. "Black death strike."

Jadeite braced himself, opening his eyes wider in an attempt to disperse the attack. His power stemmed from his eyesight, allowing him to command magic silently and only by look. It was powerful yet limiting as he had to be able to see what he was doing. The dark vortex before him was marring his vision, causing things to simply disappear where they ought to really be. It was like she was negating reality.

The attack hit him head on, negating his own magic as it passed over him. He could feel the magic pressing against him, tearing apart the illusion if Itou Judai. The magic passed, dispersing to reveal Jadeite underneath. Like Kunzite, his uniform was white with three red stripes down the front, one solid in the center with the outside two traveling halfway down the shirt and then curving inward towards the center stripe. He had one stripe around the cuff of his sleeve. Three dark red belts crisscrossed his waist with a sword sheathed at his side. Over his white pants he wore dark red matching greaves.

"Well, well, if it ain't one'a the king's retainers," Black Hole mused. "Whatever your name was."

He scowled at her once again. This was the last thing he wanted to happen. Couldn't he keep his own magic working right? But now that the secret was out, he'd have to deal with the senshi, perhaps arrest her and take her straight to Kunzite himself. Yet there was that power of hers that just didn't sit right with him. It felt off, like it wasn't hers.

Black Hole shrugged. "Well, time to die, retainer." She held her hand to the sky, still wielding the bat, but stopped suddenly. Her expression suddenly softened as she stared at Jadeite. She'd managed to kill the magic he used to disguise himself. She knew his identity, put a name to the disguised face. She had the power to kill him right now and this new magic Chibi Fuzz had given her could easily finish the job. He'd never walk again, nor would he ever breathe again. Or she could permanently blind him, break some bones, send him to the hospital or the grave. This power she now held was truly frightening.

Yet that was exactly why she'd stopped. This didn't feel right. Something was terribly wrong. She did know who he was. She knew exactly. She'd spent centuries looking up into the sky, wondering which star belonged to the solar system where he lived, where Earth was. She was disappointed and jealous when 53 Aquarii _Alpha_ could go to Earth but _Beta_ was left back home. She wanted to meet him so badly, that beautiful blond guardian of Earth.

She lowered her bat back to her side. She couldn't go through with this.

_Don't question this. Finish the job. Get your revenge._

Black Hole closed her eyes, pulling the bat over the opposite shoulder. "Forgive me, Jadeite," she whispered. As she opened her eyes, her expression shifted back to aggressive and malicious as she gathered more shadows at her fist. "It's time we finish this, yeah?" She pushed the bat forward. Well at least she attempted to.

"Ya don't hafta keep doin' this, yanno."

Seething, Black Hole looked up to find that pesky interfering senshi had returned again. She'd stepped out from whatever hole she lived in to grab onto her bat tightly and stop the attack. "Silver Star," she hissed.

"Come with me," Star offered. "I can help ya fight this."

"The only thing you can help me with is findin' that damn key!" Black Hole countered, phasing her bat out of existence. "Can't do that, you're wastin' my time, capiche?" She stepped backwards and away from Star.

"We can't let ya do that, yeah," Star frowned sharply, lowering her now empty hand. "You'll never find the Key."

Jadeite stared at the two senshi. Both Saturnalius and Kunzite were right. This mysterious Eclipse senshi knew about this key and potentially the door it matched. He watched Black Hole use her shadows to simply fade out of existence. Then he extended a hand to the one which remained. "Sailor Silver Star. Please, help us out. Who are these people? Who are _you_?"

"Guard the royal family," Star replied. "'n we'll take care'a the rest, okay?"

He stared at her, but she returned with a reassuring smile before teleporting out of sight and to the other side of the building.

"Always for the dramatics, aren't we?" the redheaded senshi jeered at Star.

Star glanced over her shoulder to where Jadeite probably still stood on the other side of the building. "I'm startin' t' think we _should_ let 'em know what's really goin' on."

"Hast thou lost thy mind?!" the senshi with the bun fussed. "We have interacted with them more than protocol permits. We shan't disobeying anymore. Desist this must at once."

"Look, S," Star frowned, "that protocol's _millennia_ old. Ancient, yanno? 'sides, these guys don't have a clue what's goin' on."

"Must I order you?" S glared at Star. Despite being somewhat shorter than Star, she still had an ability to appear rather intimidating.

"Ain't necessary," Star frowned.

"Hither we have come for a purpose, not for pleasure." S sighed. Sometimes Star could be impossible.

Star glanced at the redhead. Perhaps they were here for more than just protecting the heart of the galaxy. Perhaps they were here to protect the people within it too.

…

**Author's note:**

The reference to Jadeite's eyes stems from the manga where it _appears_ that his powers stem from his eyes and his sight. It's hard to say, really, as the manga isn't actually that specific about it.


	18. The need for information

Several days passed since Black Hole's assault on Itou Judai, and the mood within the walls of the crystal palace had grown suddenly tense. The past few weeks, both senshi and shitennou had managed to keep the situation under wraps, but their efforts had been for naught in the end.

"I think you need to get in here, Saturnalius. Bring Kunzite-san too." The words came quickly across a text in her cellphone. Saturnalius sighed, leaning forward in her desk and placing a hand on her forehead. Sun's message was written without any kanji, either marking her own hastiness or that Serenity had stolen her phone.

"There's trouble in paradise, isn't there?" Kunzite commented, noticing Saturnalius's sudden frustration.

The two commanders quickly made their way to the royal chambers. They had a lot to speak about, a lot to confess, though neither wished to speak of it. The situation wasn't entirely clear to anyone just yet. The more information they gathered, the more questions they had. Kasumi's fortune had attempted to clarify things, but truthfully it left them with yet more mysteries.

Pushing open the doors, the two walked in almost cautiously. The king and queen stood tall in the center of the room. Endymion had folded his arms, but Serenity had kept hers open, choosing to continue to something in one hand. A gentle breeze blew lightly in from the expansive balcony behind the two, causing her dress to billow slightly and dance delicately with Endymion's long cape. It would've been a majestic scene if it had not been for the subject at hand.

Sun was nowhere to be seen, probably dismissed temporarily, though Serenity held Sun's phone in her hand. The two took to one knee, Saturnalius taking Serenity's hand and kissing it politely, as was the proper greeting.

"Do you two want to tell us what's going on?" Endymion requested. His voice was calm though there was a slight irritation in the undertones.

Head still bowed, Kunzite glanced at Saturnalius, who didn't look any more willing to speak than he.

Serenity sighed. Shifting the layers of gown and underskirt, she took to a knee, leveling herself with Saturnalius. It caught the senshi by surprise and she nearly knocked herself off balance. It was hardly proper for a queen to take such a stance.

"I know what you're doing, Sasami-chan," Serenity addressed her informally. "It's just like before. I really shouldn't be surprised by this." She placed a hand on Saturnalius's shoulder. "We're not all that different, after all. I want to take on everything myself, too."

There were differences, though. Serenity wore her heart on her sleeve while Saturnalius tended to feel nothing but duty. The senshi continued to look down, unsure of how to truly bring everything to words. She also didn't want to see Serenity do something reckless, as she was prone to do when friends were in danger.

"Sasami-chan!" Serenity whined. "Kunzite-kun!" She nudged the general in the arm. "Look, I know something happened. Naru-chan is missing. Jadeite-kun is a bit beat up. And everyone seems to be avoiding talking about something. I'm not _that_ blind, you know."

"No one ever said you were," Saturnalius quickly countered.

Serenity sighed. "I know our roles have changed and all, but right now, it's just Sasami-chan, Kunzite-kun, Mamo-chan, and Usagi. Please don't shut me out again." Serenity reached forward, nearly losing her balance as she pulled Saturnalius into a quick hug. She didn't want Sasami to run away again. She still remembered how many times Saturnalius stayed her distance in the past and how long it took her to finally come into the light. Saturnalius was still a mirror, but that didn't mean the mirror couldn't continue to reflect the light. "Please don't fall into the darkness again."

Kunzite glanced over. Even he could feel the strength in her words. Both he and Saturnalius had experienced their own form of darkness. He could understand what she was feeling right now, even if she never expressed it.

Saturnalius sighed. She couldn't refuse after those words. She remembered how many times Usagi had reached out to her, trying to bring her into the light. It wasn't until she'd nearly lost Akiko that Sasami had finally taken Usagi's hand and became her friend. "Very well, we'll tell you everything."

...

Days had passed and he still looked like he got jumped an hour ago. Itou Judai had situated himself in the middle of the teacher's workroom, planting himself at one of the empty desks. While he'd detailed the entire encounter to Kunzite, he still felt like total idiot for allowing that rogue senshi to get the better of him. Now they potentially knew his identity, though nothing had happened because of it for the past few days. The rogues hadn't made an appearance, but neither had that Silver Star either.

Jadeite had stayed his post, however. His initiative wasn't necessarily to lure out the rogues again but to keep an eye out for the princess and her friends. Hotaru had been pointed out before, and while she could easily take care of herself, she couldn't transform in front of a classroom. She'd be stuck as a civilian. With other senshi in the area, calling for backup was hardly difficult.

But grading papers was becoming mundane and annoying. He sighed, leaning forward and burying his face in the papers, his hands still on the desk as he mindlessly scribbled with a pen on whatever paper was closest.

"That ain't the way t' grade papers, yanno, blondie."

"I don't think I made for this sort of work, Shimabukuro-sensei," Jadeite murmured into the desk.

"There there, blondie," Emi patted him on the back as she passed by. "Ya still don't hafta be so formal with me, yanno." She dropped her sketchpads and art books on the table before slumping into the desk accompanying chair and kicking her feet on the table.

She looked over at him, slumped over the desk. She knew why he was warn out. She saw everything happen a few days ago, and he was probably dealing with his superiors about it. She knew little of the current culture of the royal family and their business, only able to carry on with a memory of the past, of the time when the first Silver Millennium reigned supreme.

But even without knowing all the details, she could commiserate with him silently. She had her own superior to deal with, one very old fashioned superior.

Emi kicked her feet down, standing up once again and moving over to sit on the Jadeite's desk. "Say, how 'bout you 'n me go somewhere 'n have a good chat. Dinner wouldn't be a bad idea either."

Jadeite sat up abruptly. "Are you hitting on me?"

"I have a thing for blonds," Emi shrugged, completely unabashed by her confession. Her intentions weren't necessarily for a date but for a very serious conversation. Her need to flirt had gotten in the way. She couldn't deny the man was cute, moreso as Jadeite than Judai, but she would go either way.

"I'm flattered, really," Jadeite refused, "but I don't really think I'm dating material.

"Oh come now, blondie," Emi pressed on. "It'll be lots'a fun. I like t' have a good time, yanno? We Kansai sort know how t' partay."

Jadeite stared at her, marginally flattered she was hitting on him so hard. The last time he pursued someone, he was mercilessly turned down. Truly, he should've expected such a rejection from the high priestess of the Hikawa Shrine herself. She was stubborn, but that was what he admired in her.

"I'm not really the party sort," he refused again. After his last and only party, where he was persuaded to fight against his own master in the Moon Kingdom, he'd had enough of parties. He never wanted to see another one. He didn't even bother to attend the last few balls at the palace, claiming he didn't want to be in the way.

She leaned forward on the desk to get closer to his ear. "I've got something really important to tell you." She didn't want any eavesdroppers to hear her words. "Ja-"

Her words were cut short as Jadeite's phone began ringing loudly. He shifted to the opposite direction of where Emi sat to dig the phone from his bag. Flipping it over, he frowned sharply seeing the name pop up on the caller ID. "I need to take this."

Emi slouched in defeat. "Very well." Sighing she pushed off the desk and returned to the table where she had dropped her belongings. "That offer's still open, yanno." She'd tell him soon enough. He had to know. He was the only civilian link she had to the royal court. She'd simply have to press harder next time and not let her love of blond hair get in the way.

"I'll consider it," Jadeite glanced at her over his shoulder as he left the room. He couldn't deny she was beautiful, and the showering of affection wasn't a bad thing either. But right now, he had to focus on not screwing up again.

He flipped open the phone. "Hello, Saito-san. Is something wrong?"

"_I would ask the same of you,_" he replied. His voice sounded a bit more relaxed than usual. "_Are you still at school?_"

"Are you checking up on me, Saito-san?" Jadeite frowned. Sure he'd screwed up, but they surely believed he could handle himself and a handful of school children, right?

Kunzite scoffed. "_Don't think I don't concern myself for your well-being._"

Jadeite could hear the frown in his words. He knew that Zoisite wanted the closeness between the four of them much like the senshi had with one another, but to hear a similar tone in Kunzite was slightly surprising, even if it sounded more like an overbearing older brother.

"_It's not only me, you know,_" Kunzite continued. "_The master's concerned as well."_

Jadeite nearly dropped the phone. "H-he knows? About all of this? And that _stint _a few days ago?"

Kunzite sighed. "_Look, we had to inform him and the queen of the current situation. The master's concerned you might become a prime target, particularly because they know of your civilian identity._"

"N-nothing's happened," Jadeite interjected.

Emi peered around the corner from her seat at the table. She could overhear Jadeite's half of the conversation. She could only surmise that he was speaking to a superior or perhaps an ally of sorts. There were nearly two dozen guardians between the king and the queen. He was probably speaking to one of them. She could understand Jadeite's frustration, however. She'd had a similarly frustrating conversation recently herself.

"_The master and the queen both wish to have more allies at the school,_" Kunzite added.

"Please don't sent Souta-san," Jadeite quickly interjected.

"_We're not sending Zoisite,_" Kunzite frowned. He couldn't imagine the general in a school setting. It just wasn't his sort of thing to do. There were plenty of other guardians well suited for the task. "_We'll be sending in the two Neptunes._"

…

**Author's notes:**

Remember that the Eclipse are mirrors of the original senshi. The two Neptunes are Michiru and Akiko, referred to collectively as the two Neptunes due to how so frighteningly similar they are to one another.

If you can't tell by now, Jadeite is my favorite Shitennou. There's a reason Doxite looked so similar to Jadeite and even shared his colors.


End file.
